Arizona experiencing high flu levels headed into winter holidays
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The country's worst influenza outbreak in more than a decade has left most states with high or very high levels of flu activity, including Arizona.
Why it matters: This year's caseload underscores how pandemic precautions may have left us more vulnerable to seasonal respiratory diseases, Axios' Adriel Bettelheim reports.
By the numbers: In late November, about 9% of ER visits and 4% of inpatient visits statewide were people experiencing flu-like illnesses, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
- Cases have been rising since mid-September.
Threat level: Influenza is just one piece of the tripledemic puzzle that includes new strains of COVID and record levels of RSV.
- Experts warn that outbreaks are likely to worsen over the Christmas and New Year holidays.
What they're saying: The Arizona College of Emergency Physicians told The Arizona Republic that hospitals across the state have inadequate staffing to handle the surge of patients because of a nursing shortage and health care provider burnout from the pandemic.
Be smart: It's not too late to get a flu shot.