Walgreens Flu Index: Flu incidence snakes north from Texas
Oklahoma, Montana and Iowa topped the list for flu activity gains as flu incidence appears to snake north from Texas, according to this week's Walgreens Flu Index, the Deerfield, Ill.-based retailer announced Wednesday. Though Texas continued to dominate the map with the number of areas currently experiencing high levels of flu activity.
For the week ended Jan. 20, the top 10 markets presently experiencing flu activity were:
The top 10 designated market areas by flu activity gains were:
The Walgreens Flu Index is a weekly report developed to provide state- and market-specific information regarding flu activity, and ranks those states and markets experiencing the highest incidences of influenza across the country. The Index provides insight by showing which cities or metropolitan areas are experiencing the most incidences of influenza each week based on Index methodology. The data does not measure actual levels or severity of flu activity.
The Index is compiled using weekly retail prescription data for antiviral medications used to treat influenza across Walgreens and Duane Reade locations nationwide, including Walgreens locations in Puerto Rico. The data is analyzed at state and geographic market levels to measure absolute impact and incremental change of antiviral medications on a per store average basis, and does not include markets in which Walgreens has fewer than 10 retail locations.
For the week ended Jan. 20, the top 10 markets presently experiencing flu activity were:
- El Paso, Texas (Las Cruces, N.M.);
- Corpus Christi, Texas;
- Waco-Temple-Bryan, Texas;
- Tyler-Longview (Lufkin & Nacogdoches), Texas;
- Harlingen-Weslaco-Brownsville-McAllen, Texas;
- Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas;
- Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas;
- Knoxville, Tenn.;
- Ft. Smith-Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Ark.; and
- Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City & Dubuque, Iowa.
The top 10 designated market areas by flu activity gains were:
- Oklahoma City;
- Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City & Dubuque, Iowa;
- Lincoln & Hastings-Kearney, Neb.;
- Tulsa, Okla.;
- Chattanooga, Tenn.;
- La Crosse-Eau Claire, Wis.;
- Springfield, Mont.;
- Knoxville, Tenn.;
- Harlingen-Weslaco-Brownsville-McAllen, Texas; and
- Ft. Smith-Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Ark.
The Walgreens Flu Index is a weekly report developed to provide state- and market-specific information regarding flu activity, and ranks those states and markets experiencing the highest incidences of influenza across the country. The Index provides insight by showing which cities or metropolitan areas are experiencing the most incidences of influenza each week based on Index methodology. The data does not measure actual levels or severity of flu activity.
The Index is compiled using weekly retail prescription data for antiviral medications used to treat influenza across Walgreens and Duane Reade locations nationwide, including Walgreens locations in Puerto Rico. The data is analyzed at state and geographic market levels to measure absolute impact and incremental change of antiviral medications on a per store average basis, and does not include markets in which Walgreens has fewer than 10 retail locations.