“As we continue into the fall and winter cold and flu season, this site, and a new Respiratory Virus Data Dashboard that is part of this site, will provide awareness of where Kentucky stands with regard to spikes and decreases in these viruses to help inform personal decisions,” Health Commissioner Steven Stack said in a news release.
The website, at CoverYourCough.ky.gov, joins the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other states in putting all of this information in one location, says the release.
The state site includes a Respiratory Virus Data Dashboard,with data starting the first week of October, which marked the official start of flu season. Flu season in Kentucky runs through mid-May.
Data will be updated on Thursdays and will replace the state's previous weekly flu report and Covid-19 dashboard. Weekly reports will be archived.
The dashboard will provide the number of positive laboratory tests for Covid-19 that have been reported to the state; the percentage of outpatient medical visits attributed to flu-like illness in the Sentinel Health Care provider network; the number of emergency department visits and hospitalizations associated with Covid-19, the flu and/or RSV; the number of reported deaths associated with Covid-19 and/or influenza; and pediatric deaths attributed to Covid or the flu.
The provider network includes doctors' offices, hospitals and health departments that voluntarily submit their flu data.
The health department cautions that while anyone can get a respiratory infection, some people are at high risk for serious illness, so it's important for Kentuckians to follow the tips listed on the site to protect themselves and others this fall and winter.
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