ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Rates of respiratory illness in Western North Carolina are trending downward, according to the latest data from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
The department’s Respiratory Virus Summary Dashboard shows that 5.4 percent of emergency room visits statewide were for symptoms of respiratory illness as of Oct. 8, down from 6.4 percent the previous week. Hospital admissions related to respiratory viruses — including influenza, RSV and COVID-19 — also dropped from 1,101 to 847.
In Region 6, which includes Buncombe and surrounding western counties, emergency room visits for COVID-like illness declined by 1.10 percent compared with the previous week. Visits for influenza-like symptoms fell slightly, by 0.13 percent…