This report includes data on both influenza and COVID for Week 48. Jefferson County Health Department (JCHD) monitors influenza and other respiratory pathogens, including COVID-19, throughout Jefferson County, Missouri.
JCHD conducts influenza surveillance using passive surveillance and syndromic surveillance. Although influenza illness can occur year-round, the seasonal influenza reporting begins on the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Week 40 of a given year and continues through MMWR Week 20 of the following calendar year.
COVID-19 surveillance began in March 2020 and has been ongoing. COVID-19 data reflects cases that are entered into Missouri’s communicable disease database. Vaccination data for COVID-19 is reported to the Jefferson County Health Department weekly by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MO DHSS). All data and information are conditional and may change as more reports are received.
Week 48 Respiratory Report: 2021_Week48_JCHDRespiratoryReport.pdf (squarespace.com)
COVID19 Data Dashboard: COVID-19 Data — Jefferson County Health Department (jeffcohealth.org)
Influenza Summary:
This week 26 additional flu cases were reported to Jefferson County Health Department for a total of 60 cases so far this season. The prominent influenza strain in Jefferson County continues to be Type A with 42 total cases. We are starting to see a small uptick in flu cases reported, however, that is being seen throughout the state within the last week. Typically, we see flu season peak around January/February, so there is still time to get the flu vaccine to protect yourself and others. No influenza associated deaths have been reported in the county as of Week 48.
COVID-19 Summary:
This week the county remains in the RED/highest transmission level with a weekly case count of 871 confirmed and probablecases; that’s a 58% increase in cases from Week 47. The last time Jefferson County had this many COVID cases in a week was CDC Week 2 (January 10-16, 2021) with 885 cases. The weekly positivity rate also increased from 13.48% in Week 47 to 15.37% in Week 48.
Of the 871 new cases reported in week 48, 74.4% were unvaccinated. 51.19% of Jefferson County residents have initiated COVID vaccination, while 45.85% have completed the full series.
- Total Cases: 35,742
- Total Deaths: 367 (as of 12/8/2021)
o 7 additional deaths, 5 community based, 2 LTCF based
§ Male, 30’s
§ Male, 50’s
§ 2 Females, 60’s
§ Female, 70’s
§ Female, 80’s
§ Female, 90’s
As the holiday season approaches, JCHD encourages individuals to follow respiratory illness prevention measures. These include frequent handwashing especially before eating or serving food, wear a mask, communicate with friends and family about the safety precaution you are taking, and get vaccinated against the flu COVID if possible. For more information visit: Holiday Tips (cdc.gov)
