New York regions defined by NYS Dept of Health
Swine flu continues to spread in New York State. Data compiled by the NYS Department of Health suggests that this fall's wave of pandemic flu will be larger and affect more people than the spring wave did.
The graph above illustrates the numbers for Flu-like Illness in NYS hospital emergency departments as percentage of total emergency department visits, by Region (3 month snapshot). FLI is the primary indicator being used in NYS, and all of the testing being done demonstrates that pandemic Swine Flu is the overwhelming influenza virus making people sick.
In New York City, the situation seems to be different at this point. After large numbers of Swine Flu cases this past spring, the indicators for the illness are well within normal expectations for this time of year.
The Western Region, including Corning, Elmira, Buffalo and Rochester, is now reporting FLI visits nearly the peak for the seasonal flu last year, and at the rate just before the peak of the Swine Flu outbreak in June 2009.
The Central Region, which includes Fort Drum, Syracuse and Binghamton, has exceed its peak numbers for the Swine Flu outbreak in June and is approaching the peak numbers for the seasonal flu. That peak occurred in early March 2009.
The Capital / Northeast Region which includes the Albany area, Glens Falls and Plattsburgh, is experiencing its highest numbers of FLI visits to emergency departments.
Those three regions have been trending upward for several weeks. The NYS Department of Health reports its data weekly and this data is dated October 10, 2009.
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