SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — The Spokane Regional Health District said Spokane is seeing a significant increase in emergency department visits due to flu and respiratory diagnosis.
Recently 14.6% of people in the emergency department tested positive for a respiratory illness like the flu. The Spokane Regional Health District starts to alert when the positivity rate reaches 13.4%. Officials with SRHD tell KREM 2 News they expect that number to reach 20% at the peak of flu season.
Mark Springer, communicable disease program manager with SRHD, said the district has recorded two influenza-related deaths this flu season and is seeing hospitalizations trend upward…