GREENSBORO, N.C. — The Grinch who stole Christmas could be a respiratory virus.
The health department's weekly update shows the worst week for illnesses since Thanksgiving week in 2022.
Hospitals report that 17% of emergency room visits had respiratory virus symptoms, a pretty measurable uptick from the 14.5% in December 2023.
The state reports 571 total admissions for COVID-19 and 393 for flu, increasing in both categories from the week prior.
The state sends warnings when hospital admissions are high, hospitals might be strained for resources and start limiting non-urgent medical procedures.
When it comes to flu cases, the state says four more people died because of the illness bringing the total to 22.
The state says more than half of the cases were people ages 65 or older. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the number of people getting their flu shot is the lowest in the past 5 years.
The CDC is still recommending people to test for COVID-19 if they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or if there has been direct exposure to COVID-19.
The federal government has reopened its free COVID testing program.
Check out covid.gov and you'll see where to order-at-home tests at no cost or shipping fee. You'll get up to 4 per household.
If you didn't place an order in the fall, you can place two orders for a total of 8.
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