Is Kentucky seeing a flu, COVID surge? Here’s where hospitalization rates are high

Aaron Mudd

While lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 are down from a holiday peak, only about 12% of Kentucky’s population has received an updated coronavirus vaccine booster, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That’s amid a new, fast-spreading coronavirus strain, that went from accounting for 3.5% of all cases nationwide in mid-November, to making up more than 60%, according to CDC estimates.

So where does Kentucky stand with COVID-19 and how should you protect yourself during another active season for respiratory viruses? Here’s what to know.

A look at Kentucky’s Respiratory Disease Dashboard, which shows decline in lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 and influenza from earlier peaks around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
A look at Kentucky’s Respiratory Disease Dashboard, which shows decline in lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 and influenza from earlier peaks around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

What’s going on in Lexington with COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses?

Lexington added 205 new COVID-19 cases last week, not including at home tests, according to Lexington-Fayette County Health Department spokesperson Kevin Hall.

“Lab-confirmed cases have been generally on a downward trend since the week after Thanksgiving, here in Lexington,” Hall told the Herald-Leader in emailed comments Wednesday. “Again this is only a snapshot of what is happening in the community, but the data suggests there has been less spread since the beginning of December.”

As of Thursday, the number of patients hospitalized at UK HealthCare for COVID-19 stood at 32, according to spokesperson Allison Perry. Another 19 patients were being treated for influenza and 20 for RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus.

Dr. Nicholas Van Sickels, an infectious disease specialist with UK HealthCare, told the Herald-Leader in an interview Wednesday the community continues to see high levels of respiratory disease activity.

“My public health message would definitely be to get your flu shot and get your COVID booster if you haven’t,” Van Sickels said, also emphasizing good hygiene practices, such as proper hand washing or using hand sanitizer. Keeping your hands clean, including by washing them with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, has been shown to prevent 1 in 5 respiratory infections, per the CDC.

Is COVID activity surging or falling in Kentucky?

The latest available respiratory virus update from the state’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services, dated Jan. 11, indicates activity for COVID-19, influenza and RSV is elevated. Hospitalizations for the flu are also at a high level, according to the update.

That said, the number of laboratory-confirmed cases does appear to be on the decline from previous peaks during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, according to limited state data. As of the week ending Jan. 6, the latest for which figures are available, the number was 3,316 reported active cases statewide.

It’s worth remembering the state has largely scaled back its COVID-19 data reporting in recent months, and those are only laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza and COVID-19. The data doesn’t account for at-home tests you might buy at a drugstore or obtain for free through Covidtests.org.

As of the week ending Jan. 6, state data shows emergency department visits and hospital admissions for COVID-19 and the flu are also on the decline.

According to CDC data for the week ending Jan. 6, fewer than a dozen Kentucky counties were classified as having high hospitalization rates for COVID-19. They were primarily concentrated in the eastern part of the state, followed by the western half.

This map from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows new hospitalization admission rates for COVID-19 by county in Kentucky. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
This map from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows new hospitalization admission rates for COVID-19 by county in Kentucky. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Fayette County was classified as having a low rate with 55 new hospital admissions for COVID-19 for the week ending Jan. 6. It was a 18% decline from the previous week.

Is now the time to wear a mask in Kentucky?

While it can’t hurt, Van Sickels said the decision to mask in public is a personal one.

“If you are really high risk, it is OK to mask,” Van Sickels said of those at high-risk of severe COVID-19.

“Flu is spread by droplets and usually close contact, same with COVID,” Van Sickels said, adding masking in public can help keep you from spreading respiratory viruses to others if you’re incubating them.

Do you have a question about health care in Kentucky for our service journalism team? Let us know via the Know Your Ketnucky form below or email us at ask@herald-leader.com.

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