KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Children’s Mercy Hospital reported more than 1,000 flu cases among Kansas City-area children last week, the largest spike for any respiratory disease since the COVID-19 omicron variant swept through the region in January.
There were 1,070 patients at the pediatric hospital who tested positive for Influenza A last week and four who tested for Influenza B, according to data posted Monday by Children’s Mercy.
RELATED | Information from the CDC on influenza
The hospital reported a 47.5% positive rate in flu testing last week.
Children’s Mercy also continues to see a high rate of patients who test positive for RSV, but the number of new cases has stabilized after spiking earlier in November and the percent testing positive dropped last week.
The hospital reported 311 new cases and a 26% positivity rate, which is down from a 37.2% rate for the season to date.
COVID-19 cases, which spiked in July and again in September, have trended down in recent weeks. There were only 32 new cases and a 2.85% positivity rate at Children’s Mercy last week.
The hospital reported 19,291 positive COVID-19 cases for the year.
—
