Arizona respiratory virus cases are below average so far this season

So far this season, the number of respiratory viruses reported in Arizona has been below average. But influenza cases are rising quickly.

Arizona had massive flu seasons during the last two winters. This year’s case counts have been much lower than what the state saw during those seasons.

Arizona Department of Health Services

So far this fall, the Arizona Department of Health Services has reported 1,020 flu cases. At the same point last year, the state had seen 5,493 cases.

But the number of positive flu tests in the state this week increased 81% from last week, and likely won’t slow down soon. For the last few years, flu cases did not reach a peak in Arizona until late December or early January.

If you’re planning travel or big family gatherings for the holidays, medical experts recommend getting a flu shot sooner, rather than later. It takes about two weeks to build up immunity after getting the vaccine.

“There’s very few contraindications for getting these vaccines, the vast majority of people should be getting them,” Dr. Aneesh Narang, with the emergency department at the Banner - University Medical Center Phoenix told KJZZ in October. “Elderly parents, elderly family members, people who have chronic illnesses — you would not want them to get sick, so that’s another reason to do it, you want to protect others that are close to you.”

The Arizona Department of Health Services reports other respiratory illnesses, COVID-19 and RSV, are also spreading in the state, but cases are not rising as quickly as flu cases are and are also well below average for this time of year so far.

The state has reported 177 RSV cases so far this fall — at the same point last year the state had reported 283 RSV cases. And Arizona has had 5,214 COVID-19 cases this fall, compared to 15,355 at the same point last year.