The Allegheny County Health Department launched a new online respiratory virus dashboard Monday. The tool provides data on local cases of COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus or RSV and influenza.
The interactive platform tracks reported infections, emergency room visits, hospitalizations and deaths associated with the three viruses. The tool launches as the respiratory virus season gets underway: cases of the flu, COVID-19 and RSV typically increase during the fall and winter.
Officials said the dashboard will help residents stay informed about how viruses are spreading locally.
“The dashboard is a great way to check what is happening right now in the county with regard to COVID, flu, and RSV,” said Dr. Kristen Mertz, a medical epidemiologist with the health department. The tool and other guidance and information can be accessed through the county’s website.
Though it’s hard to capture a full picture of the rate of these viruses, as many cases go unreported, officials have said the data can help residents follow trends and take precautions when infections are on the rise.
The data stretches back to 2019 and can be broken down into age group, race, ethnicity and sex.
The health department also issued a statement Monday advising residents to get updated respiratory virus vaccines. The county’s immunization clinic recently received a supply of the updated COVID-19 vaccine and is offering free shots for residents without insurance.
Officials said residents over the age of six months should get an updated vaccine “regardless of whether they have previously been vaccinated against COVID-19.”
That’s because previous vaccines have proven to be less effective against the current most common strain of the virus.
"The COVID-19 virus continues to evolve, and vaccine protection can diminish over time," said Dr. Barbara Nightingale, the health department’s deputy director for clinical services. "Getting an updated COVID-19 vaccine can restore immunity and provide enhanced protection against the variants that are currently responsible for most infections and hospitalizations.”
In 2023, Allegheny County reported 355 COVID-19-related deaths and more than 5,000 hospitalizations.
Officials are also urging residents to get vaccinated against the flu and for more vulnerable residents to get the RSV vaccine. The RSV antibody injection was in short supply last year. But the county said those shots are now available for older adults, infants and pregnant people.
“The CDC recommends the RSV vaccine for everyone 75 years and older and for certain adults aged 60 to 74 who are at risk for severe RSV,” said Dr. Nightingale. “Pregnant people may receive the vaccine late in their pregnancy, or infants can receive a long-acting antibody injection to protect them against RSV.”
