EXCLUSIVE: Confirmed flu cases in Chicago continue to drop as COVID-19 cases keep climbing

The number of influenza cases in Chicago has been plummeting in recent weeks, with no flu-related intensive care unit hospitalizations reported during the week ending April 4, the Chicago Department of Public Health reports.

In comparison, the number of positive tests for COVID-19 in the city has continued to rise in recent weeks, with an average daily tally during the week ending April 4 of about 378, according to an analysis of numbers reported by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). That’s up from a daily average of 251 during the previous week.

Only one Chicago flu-related ICU hospitalization was reported during the week ending March 28.

Chicago’s public health agency also reports that the percentage of hospital emergency room visits due to influenza-like symptoms remains elevated compared to previous flu seasons. That’s likely the result of changing patient behaviors relating to the coronavirus epidemic, the city Department of Public Health reports.

The seasonal cumulative total of positive influenza tests as of April 4 in Chicago is 6,644. That number is higher than for the same time period in the last two years, the department reported. The percentage of those testing positive for influenza this year is similar to the 2018 period (18.2 percent), but it’s higher than the percentage testing positive last year (11 percent).

The IPDH data does not break down by region the number of daily ICU hospitalizations related to coronavirus. 

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Influenza Data for City of Chicago

Source: Chicago Department of Public Health