Coronavirus physical distancing also helped stop flu in Allegheny County, officials say

Physical distancing measures put in place to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus also likely helped to knock out flu season in Allegheny County, data from the Allegheny County Health Department show.

The number of lab-confirmed flu cases in the county dropped off by late March, decreasing from about 300 cases during the week ending March 21 to less than 100 cases during the week ending March 28.

The number of cases continued to drop to nearly zero in the two weeks after.

Gov. Tom Wolf ordered nonessential Pennsylvania businesses to close March 16, and non-life-sustaining businesses were ordered to close March 19. A stay-at-home order was issued for Allegheny County on March 23.

There is no indication yet that any flu deaths were related to covid-19, but the health department is investigating, said Dr. LuAnn Brink, chief epidemiologist with the Allegheny County Health Department.

The flu is spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes, spewing infected droplets onto surfaces and into the air. The Pennsylvania Department of Health recommends getting a vaccine to prevent the flu, as well as frequent hand washing and surface cleaning.

Similar measures, including wearing a mask and staying at least 6 feet from other people, have been recommended to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. There is not yet a coronavirus vaccine.

Allegheny County had most flu cases

This year’s flu season was the most aggressive on record with the highest number of laboratory-confirmed cases in Pennsylvania during a single flu season, state officials said in March.

Allegheny County led the state with the most flu cases, state data through the week ending March 28 show.

The state health department stopped updating its flu activity web page that week because flu activity decreased statewide, according to a message on the page.

Flu season typically runs from the beginning of October to mid-May.

Allegheny County closed the 2019-20 flu season April 25 with 13,801 cases countywide. That’s compared to 9,790 cases the previous flu season.

While there were more cases of the flu this season this year, there were fewer hospitalizations and deaths, with 174 hospitalizations and 15 deaths.

There were 284 hospitalizations and 27 deaths reported the previous flu season.

Montgomery County trailed Allegheny, with 9,650 total cases. Westmoreland County reported 3,636 cases.

Statewide, there were nearly 130,000 flu cases, more than 3,200 hospitalizations and 102 deaths. Most of those deaths, 70 cases, occurred in people over 65.