Walgreens' latest Flu Index looks like a mid-summer heat wave
These days the Walgreens Flu Index depicting flu incidence nationwide looks more like a summertime record temperature map with influenza-like incidence burning in Texas red and emanating from there into the orange of Tennessee and North Carolina.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention next updates its weekly U.S. influenza surveillance report on Friday, Feb. 9, with illness rates for the week ended Feb. 3. If the percentage of doctor visits for influenza-like illnesses crests 7.6%, this year's flu season will be the strongest on record.
But so far, this is the worst season on record since the H1N1 pandemic of 2009, according to the CDC. The agency this past Friday reported incidence reached as high as 7.1% for the week ended Jan. 27.
The flu is certainly impacting what's happening in retail pharmacy. IRI on Wednesday unveiled how this year's season is impacting retail sales of cough, cold and flu items.
For the week ended Feb. 3, the top 10 designated market areas experiencing flu activity were:
The top 10 markets with 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 Flu 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.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention next updates its weekly U.S. influenza surveillance report on Friday, Feb. 9, with illness rates for the week ended Feb. 3. If the percentage of doctor visits for influenza-like illnesses crests 7.6%, this year's flu season will be the strongest on record.
But so far, this is the worst season on record since the H1N1 pandemic of 2009, according to the CDC. The agency this past Friday reported incidence reached as high as 7.1% for the week ended Jan. 27.
The flu is certainly impacting what's happening in retail pharmacy. IRI on Wednesday unveiled how this year's season is impacting retail sales of cough, cold and flu items.
For the week ended Feb. 3, the top 10 designated market areas experiencing flu activity were:
- Oklahoma City;
- El Paso, Texas (Las Cruces, N.M.);
- Waco-Temple-Bryan, Texas;
- Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas;
- Knoxville, Tenn.;
- Chattanooga, Tenn.;
- Tyler-Longview (Lufkin & Nacogdoches), Texas;
- Tulsa, Okla.;
- Austin, Texas; and
- Charleston, S.C.
The top 10 markets with flu activity gains were:
- Chattanooga, Tenn.;
- Knoxville, Tenn.;
- Greensboro-High Point-Winston Salem, N.C.;
- Greenville-New Bern-Washington, N.C.;
- Roanoke-Lynchburg, Va.;
- El Paso, Texas (Las Cruces, N.M.);
- Salisbury, Md.;
- Raleigh-Durham (Fayetteville), N.C.;
- Richmond-Petersburg, Va.; and
- Charleston, S.C.
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 Flu 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.