Flu activity still "very high" in North Carolina

The worst flu outbreak in more than a decade is hitting nearly every state in the country hard. North Carolina is no exception.

Driving the news: North Carolina was one of 30 states with "very high" levels of influenza activity in early December, according to the most recent data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• At this time last month, only eight states, including North Carolina, were at that "very high" level.

Why it matters: For the third winter in a row, health systems are stretched to a breaking point around the holidays. COVID-19, flu and RSV cases this year have caused some providers to open overflow units and extend their hours.

• One pediatric primary care provider at UNC Health recently extended its hours to 8pm every weekday to adjust to the high number of cases, UNC Health spokesperson Alan Wolf told Axios.
• "It's just indicative of the situation we're in, that there's just that many patients," Wolf said.

Context: Influenza cases usually peak in January or February. The surge came much earlier this year. More than 6% of emergency department patients statewide had flu-like symptoms in November.

By the numbers: UNC Health's Rex hospitals and clinics in Wake County had nearly 2,200 flu cases last month, Wolf said.

• In November of last year, that total was 175.
• In 2020, it was just nine.

Yes, but: Positive flu tests and flu-like illnesses have decreased overall since November.

• In late November and early December, just under 4% of emergency department patients had flu-like symptoms, down from nearly 5% the previous week. The number of positive flu tests also decreased during that time.

"The bright spot of the pandemic," Wolf said, "is we did really learn some good steps to take to prevent illness."

The bottom line: Get the flu vaccination and COVID booster, and if you're not feeling well, stay home.

• North Carolina's Department of Health and Human Services also recommends washing your hands and covering your coughs and sneezes.
• It also doesn't hurt to wear a mask and stay away from people if you can, Wolf said.