ADH weekly respiratory disease report March 6 – level drops to lowest in nearly three months

The Arkansas Department of Health’s (ADH) weekly respiratory disease report released Thursday shows the intensity level has dropped to its lowest in nearly three months.

The scale has three levels of very high, three levels of high, two levels of moderate, two levels of low and three levels of minimal. This week’s level is the highest level of the moderate level. Last week the level was in the highest level of the high category.

The last time the level was this low was the report released Dec. 11 when the level was in the low category.

Twenty new deaths were attributed to the flu last week in Arkansas and 107 flu deaths have been reported since Sept. 29.

There were 83 deaths reported the past week by the ADH due to pneumonia in the state.

Eleven new COVID-19 deaths were reported this past week. There have been 85 COVID deaths since the first of the year.

For the week ending this past Saturday, March 1, the ADH reported 146 new flu-related hospitalizations in Arkansas and 46 new COVID-19 hospitalizations.

Forty four influenza outbreaks have been reported at nursing homes or other congregate setting institutions so far this flu season, up four from last week.

The report also provides the percentage of students absent in each county for the week. Here are the counties in north central Arkansas and their absenteeism rate:

Baxter – 4.80 (last week was 9.67)

Marion – 4.99 (last week there was no report)

Fulton – 6.37 (last week was 5.22)

Izard – 7.60 (last week there was no report)

Stone – 5.88 (last week there was no report)

Searcy – 7.76 (last week there was no report)

Boone – 6.43 (last week was 3.34)

Newton – 5.30 (last week was 7.95)

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