PACIFIC COUNTY — What had been a quiet local flu season has ramped up in an alarming manner in recent weeks, figures shared by county health officials show.

The surge of serious infections in Pacific and nearby counties aligns with a precipitous rise nationwide, with some infectious disease experts calling it the worst flu season in recent memory.

According to data collected by the Pacific County Health and Human Services Department, more than 15% of all emergency room visits by county residents in the first week of February were due to an influenza infection, with the vast majority being ER visits to the two hospitals in the county — Ocean Beach Hospital in Ilwaco and Willapa Harbor Hospital in South Bend.

The share of local ER visits due to the flu was up more than double from the previous two weeks, when it hovered between 5-7.5%, which itself was already concerning to county health officials. The first week of February was easily the highest of any single week for the county since at least the 2022-23 flu season, which traditionally begins in September or October.

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The first week of February was easily the highest of any single week for the county since at least the 2022-23 flu season, which traditionally begins in September or October.

This local data aligns fairly closely with the 10% ER visitation rate observed in the Cascade Pacific Action Alliance region that Pacific County is included in, along with Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Lewis, Grays Harbor, Mason and Thurston counties. The region-wide ER rate is also twice as high as it was two weeks prior, when it sat at just under 5%, and is quickly approaching the 12.5% rate that was observed in November 2022.

Statewide, 8% of all ER visits for the most recent week were due to the flu, which itself represented a sharp increase. That mark was the same at the national level among outpatient medical clinics, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is among the highest percentages documented by the CDC over the past 20 years.

Nationally, an estimated 310,000 people have already been hospitalized with the flu this season, and at least 13,000 have died.

Alert threshold

The “alert threshold” has been breached at both the local and regional level due to this recent rise in ER visits caused by the flu, said Connor Montgomery, the county health department’s epidemiologist and program manager. As a matter of fact, the alert threshold has been crossed locally for all but one week since mid-December, after seeing little flu activity to begin the season.

When the threshold has been broken, the county health department increases its communications with hospitals “to keep them aware of rising concerns and any nuances to the data.”

“This lets them be a bit more knowledgeable and ahead of the curve for their staff meetings and communications for the upcoming weeks,” added Montgomery.

A more unified response between hospitals and medical facilities is recommended when the threshold has been broken, which includes stronger communication with both staff and patients about observing social distancing measures and staying home if they’re not feeling well. Other measures include having additional personal hygiene options available for patients and staff, and increasing awareness for staffing needs and safety and testing concerns.

Other notes

The surge in more severe flu cases requiring hospitalization comes as just 18.3% of Pacific County residents have received their flu vaccine this season, with the statewide vaccination rate at nearly 29%. But, Montgomery says, it’s not too late for people to get their flu shot for the season.

“Looking at the most recent season, 2022, where flu was peaking very early on, that lasted another 4-6 weeks following its initial spiking,” he said. “The flu has been pretty sticky across the country and state this year, so it’s especially good for those that are 65 or older to get the flu vaccine, even at this point in the season when it’s peaking.”

Locally, flu shots are offered by Ocean Beach Hospital and its clinics as part of appointments with providers. Across the river, vaccine appointments can still be scheduled online with the likes of Fred Meyer, Walgreens and Safeway. Visit easyvax.com for assistance in finding and scheduling an appointment.

On the bright side, covid-19 has not been much of a factor of late at the local, regional or statewide level. In the first week of February, just 0.7% of all ER visits within the seven-county Cascade Pacific Action Alliance region were due to covid-19, down from about 2.5% over the same period in both 2024 and 2023.

RSV, however, has also been on the rise this season, although Montgomery said it is low in Pacific County at the moment. Just over 1% of all ER visits regionally were due to RSV in early February, up from 0.2% in both 2024 and 2023. RSV usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms in most people, but can cause severe infection among infants, older adults, the immunocompromised and those with heart and lung disease.

And while pertussis “is not a concern locally as of now,” the county health department is encouraging providers to test for it if patients match any of the symptoms. Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious bacterial infection that is particularly dangerous for infants.

Early-stage symptoms are similar to a cold — runny or stuffy nose, low-grade fever and a mild cough — while late-stage symptoms consist of a cough that develops into fits. The fits are a more rapid, uncontrollable and high-pitched “whoop” sound when inhaling, with other symptoms including vomiting during or after coughing fits, fatigue from coughing, and difficulty sleeping due to breathing struggles.