For Providers

Chelan-Douglas Health District Viral Respiratory Surveillance Data Dashboard

The Viral Respiratory Surveillance Data Dashboard is used to show the burden of respiratory illness in the communities of Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan counties. The data displays local and regional trends in respiratory illness, including Acute Respiratory Illness (ARI), COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The respiratory illness surveillance season begins the first week of October (CDC Week 40) and continues through the last week of September of the following year (CDC Week 39).

The dashboard data will be updated every Thursday by 5 pm.The weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas, the dashboard will be updated on Thursday of the following week.

CDHD Viral Respiratory Illness Data Dashboard

About the Data

The data represent percentages of emergency department (ED) visits and inpatient hospitalizations among patients receiving care at healthcare facilities in Chelan, Douglas, and Okanogan counties. Data for Chelan and Douglas counties are combined, as emergency healthcare services are located in Chelan County and serve residents from both counties. Regional data represent Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan counties combined, and residents from neighboring counties may also seek care at these facilities.

Data are sourced from the Washington Department of Health (DOH) Rapid Health Information Network through the National Syndromic Surveillance Program ESSENCE platform. This is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention system used for near real-time monitoring of health trends.

The data represents patient ICD-10 discharge diagnosis codes associated with Acute Respiratory Illness (ARI), COVID-19, influenza, and RSV. The ARI metric includes ED visits with patient ICD-10 codes that include a broad range of acute respiratory illness diagnoses, including specific pathogens (e.g., influenza, RSV, SARS-CoV-2), pneumonia (viral, bacterial, or unspecified), bronchitis, upper respiratory infections, respiratory failure, and other acute respiratory syndromes. More information about the diagnoses included in this metric may be found here. Using the ARI metric allows us to have a more complete picture of overall respiratory visits in hospitals. COVID-19, influenza, and RSV data represent ED visits and hospitalizations with patient ICD-10 codes that include a diagnosis of the specific respective pathogen. These diagnoses may or may not be accompanied by a confirmed laboratory test.

For Providers: Disease Activity Thresholds and Infection Prevention Measures

Disease activity thresholds are used to identify when respiratory illness activity is considered elevated in the community. Chelan-Douglas Health District uses the thresholds established by the WDOH for respiratory illness visits in weekly emergency departments to determine when the activity is considered elevated. The threshold values listed below represent the percentage of weekly ED visits for each condition and pathogen:

Acute Respiratory Illness (ARI): 14.0%

COVID-19: 1.14%

Influenza: 1.44%

RSV: 0.38%

When one or more thresholds are exceeded, Chelan-Douglas Health District encourages health care facilities and providers to use heightened preventive measures for respiratory infection, as referenced in this season’s letter from Regional Health Officers. This may include masking in patient care areas, encouraging masking for all patients and visitors, and expediting rooming or isolation for patients with respiratory symptoms. Heightened preventive measures are recommended until ED visits for ARI and all pathogens (COVID-19, influenza and RSV) fall below their respective disease activity thresholds for two consecutive weeks.