Flu Cases Spike Significantly In Pittsburgh Area

PITTSBURGH, PA — The flu season appears to be reaching its apex in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, with the number of reported cases surging in January.

According to the Allegheny County Health Department, there were nearly 3,000 reported cases of influenza in January. More than 550 of those cases resulted a trip to a hospital emergency room. That represents 4.92 percent of all emergency room visits in the county.

The health department respiratory virus dashboard shows how the flu outbreak expanded greatly in January:

• Week of Jan. 5: 516 cases

• Week of Jan. 12: 547 cases

• Week of Jan. 19: 773 cases

• Week of Jan. 26: 1,012 cases

COVID-19 cases also were on the rise, with nearly 1,300 cases reported in January. A week-by-week breakdown:

• Week of Jan. 5: 331 cases

• Week of Jan. 12: 311 cases

• Week of Jan. 19: 300 cases

• Week of Jan. 26: 339 cases

Cases of respiratory syncytical virus (RSV) rose for the first three weeks of the month, then dipped at month's end:

• Week of Jan. 5: 226 cases

• Week of Jan. 12: 228 cases

• Week of Jan. 19: 230 cases

• Week of Jan. 26: 161 cases.