Coronavirus Numbers Trending Downward but Flu Season Looms on the Horizon

Positive news has been the constant for recent COVID-19 press conferences at the Huntsville City Council chambers.

Nothing changed Friday as Dr. Karen Landers of the Alabama Department of Public Health and Madison County Commission Chair Dale Strong produced statistics that suggest the novel coronavirus is trending downward, not just in the county but throughout the state..

But there was also a caveat: Regular ol’ flu season lurks in the near future, something that could throw a wrench in designs on getting back to normalcy if proper precautions aren’t taken.

“Flu season is going to be upon us relatively shortly and this year we must make sure that persons eligible for the flu vaccine — that’s persons six months or older who do not have a medical reason not to take the vaccine — get one,’’ she said.

“Flu vaccine is very safe and not something most people cannot take. Everyone needs to take a flu shot this year. That is very, very important.’’

The infectious disease specialist also debunked a common myth that is circulated every year.

“You cannot get influenza from a flu vaccine,’’ she said.

As for the current status of COVID-19 in Madison County, the total number of confirmed cases as of Saturday was 5,661 with 35 confirmed deaths. Statewide, the numbers are 103, 357 and 1,828.

The ADPH reports the positive testing rate for COVID-19 has declined. Landers said Friday’s preliminary positivity rate was 11.1 percent, down from Thursday’s 12.3 percent.

She also sa9d it was important to continue practicing the now-familiar safeguards: wearing face coverings, social distancing, sanitizing and hand-washing to slow the spread.

“What I believe, as the indicator shows, is that the multiple activities that we are taking to reduce the spread of this disease, such as the social distancing, the respiratory hygiene and the use of the cloth face covering, is having an impact,” she said. “We do appear to be having a flattening, a minimal decline, but nevertheless a decline in our numbers of hospitalization.

“So, I do believe we’re going in the right direction with this, and I think it will be very important that we continue to move in this direction over the next several weeks.”

Huntsville City, Madison City and Madison County schools returned Aug. 12 with virtual learning. Other school systems in the Tennessee Valley returned to classrooms, and subsequently hundreds of students were placed in quarantine.

Landers said those students had not tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 but had compatible symptoms. She added the ASHP would review its guidelines on returning to campus.

Madison County Commission Chairman Dale Strong said new cases of coronavirus in Madison County have “slowed to levels we haven’t experienced since late June’’ with cases down 25 percent since last week and down almost 30 percent in the last 14 days.

According to Strong, Huntsville Hospital has 97 coronavirus inpatients with 31 in the ICU and 21 on ventilators.