Alaska Department of Health and Social Service Weekly COVID-19 and Influenza Update

March 13 – March 19, 2022

Key Findings

• The incidence of COVID-19 remained as high or higher than it was before the Omicron wave across most parts of Alaska during the week of March 13–March 19, 2022.
• Appreciable levels of influenza transmission began occurring in mid-December but slowly declined over the last several weeks.
• Other respiratory viruses are circulating in addition to SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus.
• DHSS has reviewed how CDC’s new COVID-19 community levels may apply to Alaska. The community levels are useful because they consider hospitalizations and are not solely based on case data. However, we encourage the public and community leaders to continue to be aware of case rates in addition to the community levels. Community levels alone may not fully capture risk associated with localized high levels of transmission, especially in rural areas. In the upcoming weeks, the Alert Levels on the dashboard will be retired and replaced by Case Rate Levels. In addition, beginning in April, DHSS will be updating data on the Alaska COVID-19 Information Hub once a week, on Wednesdays, rather than the current three times weekly.

COVID-19

COVID-19 Case Trends

• COVID-19 transmission continues to occur widely throughout much of Alaska, without a clear increasing or decreasing trajectory. While case counts have declined markedly since the peak of the Omicron wave, in most areas, incidence remains as high or higher than it was before the Omicron wave. Hospital admissions of persons with COVID-19 have increased slightly.  
• 1,314 cases were reported in Alaskans the week of March 13–March 19, however because a large number of older cases with delayed reporting were counted the previous week, the large apparent week-over-week decrease in reported cases is not indicative of the true trend. The number of new cases statewide last week was similar to the number the week before.
• The number of reported COVID-19 cases in all five of the largest boroughs (Municipality of Anchorage, Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Fairbanks North Star Borough, Kenai Peninsula Borough, and the City and Borough of Juneau) was similar compared to the previous week, without a clear upwards or downwards trend.
• The intensity of COVID-19 transmission varies between communities outside the largest boroughs. Trajectories are mixed, with COVID-19 cases declining in many boroughs and census areas but increasing in others. Regardless, absolute levels of transmission remain high in many areas.
• The Omicron variant accounts for effectively all SARS-CoV-2 circulating in Alaska. An increasing proportion of COVID-19 cases in Alaska are caused by the BA.2 lineage (a sub-type of Omicron). Visit Alaska’s SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Dashboard to learn more. 
• To learn more about COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths due to COVID-19 in Alaska, visit the Cases Dashboard or the monthly report. The cases dashboard includes demographic information on cases and the monthly report includes demographic information on hospitalizations and deaths.

COVID-19 cases among Alaska residents by week of onset date.

Click here to sort data

*Rates based on <20 observations are statistically unreliable and should be used with caution.
**Rates based on <6 observations are not reported.
Alert levels are based on case report date.

COVID-19 and Hospital Capacity

• Hospital capacity remains limited. Large numbers of patients overall (not necessarily with COVID-19 or other respiratory viruses) relative to the number of available staff continue to create capacity challenges across the state, with some areas more affected than others.  
• Patient Care Strategies for Scare Resource Situations are currently not being utilized by any facility in Alaska. However, given the continued limited capacity of some facilities, the Crisis Care Committee continues to meet to monitor the situation and remains available to assist facilities and DHSS should the need arise.
• As of March 21, 2022, there were 43 persons with COVID-19 in Alaska hospitals, accounting for 3.6% of all hospitalized persons. Visit the Hospital Dashboard for more data.

COVID-19 and Vaccination

• 71.3% of Alaska residents aged ≥5 years have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Among those who completed the primary vaccine series, 50.4% of Alaska residents ≥18 years have received their booster. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccination coverage in Alaska on the Vaccine Dashboard. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines.
• Vaccines help protect against infection and against severe disease, especially when a person is up to date on vaccinations. During the 4-week period from February 13, 2022–March 12, 2022, unvaccinated Alaskans were 5.3 times more likely to be hospitalized due to COVID-19 than Alaskans who are up to date on COVID-19 vaccination (i.e., completed the primary series and received a booster dose, if eligible) and 3.0 times more likely to be hospitalized due to COVID-19 than Alaskans who completed the primary vaccination series but are not up to date. These estimates are lagged by one week to partially account for the time it takes to document hospitalizations. (See the monthly report for more data and analysis through January.)

Unvaccinated Alaskans are 5.3 times more likely to be hospitalized due to COVID-19 than Alaskans who are up to date on COVID-19 vaccination and 3.0 times more likely to be hospitalized due to COVID-19 than Alaskans who completed the primary vaccination series but are not up to date. In order to more easily identify changes over time, the definition of “up to date” as of January 8, 2022, was applied to data from all time points. The absolute rates of hospitalization especially in the most recent 4-week period highlighted in grey are likely underestimates because of COVID-19 hospitalizations that have not yet been documented. **Especially when rates are very low, the estimates of fold-differences between rates may be imprecise. Fold-differences are not calculated if one of the rates is based on <6 cases.

• Among Alaska residents aged ≥5 years from January 16, 2021–March 19, 2022, 69,951 cases were documented in persons who had completed the primary series and were considered fully vaccinated. Among those vaccine-breakthrough cases, 532 hospitalizations and 187 deaths due to COVID-19 have been recorded. During that time, 98,625 cases have been documented in unvaccinated Alaskans aged ≥5 years, leading to 1,852 hospitalizations and 652 deaths. All data are preliminary and subject to change.
• During the Omicron wave, the incidence of COVID-19 cases in vaccinated persons has become more similar to the incidence in unvaccinated persons. This trend likely reflects multiple factors which may include: immunity wanes over time, cases in vaccinated persons may be more likely to be detected than cases in unvaccinated persons, and there may be increased infection-induced immunity especially among unvaccinated persons.

In order to more easily identify changes over time, the definition of “up to date” as of January 8, 2022 was applied to data from all time points. Some COVID-19 cases with specimen collection in the immediate past week (indicated by the grey box) may have not yet been reported or counted.

Influenza (“Flu”)

• Reported influenza cases began increasing in Alaska in mid-December. The number of reported cases the week of March 13–March 19 slightly decreased from the number reported the previous week.
• Right now, most influenza in Alaska is caused by influenza A.
• 24% of Alaskans aged ≥10 years have been vaccinated against seasonal influenza. It is not too late to get vaccinated against influenza.
• Learn more in the weekly Alaska Influenza Snapshot.

Positive influenza lab reports in Alaska by week of specimen collection for the 2017-2018 influenza season through present. The current season through March 19, 2022 is shown in red.

Emergency Department Visits with COVID-like or Influenza-like Illness

• Syndromic surveillance consists of analyzing data on symptoms and diagnoses among patients visiting emergency departments in Alaska. The main goal is to identify trends. Unlike case-based surveillance, syndromic surveillance does not depend on laboratory testing.
• Influenza-like illness (ILI) is defined as having a fever and at least one other symptom, such cough or sore throat. Patients with a diagnosis of influenza are also included, regardless of symptoms.
• COVID-like illness (CLI) encompasses a broader array of respiratory and other symptoms than influenza-like illness. This category also includes any patient with a diagnosis of COVID-19, regardless of symptoms.
• Patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19 are excluded from the ILI category and, likewise, patients with a diagnosis of influenza are excluded from the CLI category. But a patient without a diagnosis for either could be included in both the CLI and ILI categories. CLI and ILI may be caused by respiratory viruses other than SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus.
• As the Delta variant wave waned in Alaska in late October and November 2021, the percentage of emergency department patients with CLI declined. However, it increased in mid-December, reaching its peak in mid-January. Now, it is at a level lower than that observed in December before the Omicron wave. The percentage of emergency department patients with CLI the week of March 13–March 19 decreased from the percentage recorded the prior week.
• ILI levels increased in December but have since decreased from the late-December peak. The percentage of emergency department patients with ILI the week of March 13–March 19 slightly increased from the percentage recorded the prior week.

New updates to protect yourself and your family

• Masks: Masks provide both personal protection and protection to others, and they provide better protection when collectively worn. Alaskans are encouraged to consider current COVID-19 trends, personal risk factors, the new CDC COVID-19 community levels, alert levels, and other mitigation strategies in place when deciding where and when to wear a mask, and which kind to wear. Well-fitting N95/KN95 masks offer higher levels of protection than other masks.
• Ask a health care provider about treatment: If you test positive and you’re at increased risk for severe COVID, ask a health care provider about treatment options. Treatments can reduce the risk of hospitalization and they work best when given soon after symptoms start. Learn more about COVID-19 treatments and where you can find COVID-19 treatments.
• Immunocompromised Alaskans: The FDA recently doubled the initial authorized dose for EVUSHELD. Patients who have received the previously authorized dose should receive an additional dose as soon as possible. EVUSHELD is a monoclonal antibody treatment to prevent COVID-19 for moderately to severely immunocompromised people. EVUSHELD is not a substitute for vaccination. If you're immunocompromised, talk to your health care provider or call the COVID-19 helpline at 907-646-3322 for guidance.

Information and Resources

• The State of Alaska COVID-19 vaccines update page
• The State of Alaska COVID-19 information page provides more information about the virus and how individuals and businesses can protect themselves and others from transmission. 
• The DHSS Business and Employer Toolkits page has communications resources for any organization that wants to keep workers, partners, clients, and customers informed about COVID-19.
• DHSS COVID-19 Communication Toolkit provides PSAs, flyers, and social media graphics.
• Learn more about the importance of physical activity, highlighted by our Play Every Day and our Healthy You 2022 campaigns: Play Every Day.
• Subscribe to the DHSS Insights blog for behind-the-scenes news about Alaska’s COVID-19 response and other efforts to protect the health and well-being of Alaskans.
• DHSS offers free presentations upon request to groups about COVID-19, the vaccines, COVID-19 prevention, or other health topics upon request. Learn more or request a presentation on our Speaker’s Bureau web page.
• For the most up-to-date case information, see the Alaska COVID-19 Information Hub dashboard: data.coronavirus.alaska.gov. All dashboard data are updated Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (except holidays). 
• For DHSS media inquiries, please contact clinton.bennett@alaska.gov

ECHO sessions

Session information and recordings of previous ECHO sessions
subscribe to ECHO calendar updates | email: echo@alaskachd.org | website: akecho.org

ECHO sessions create virtual learning communities by connecting Alaska's health experts with specific audiences on specific topics. These sessions are produced and facilitated by UAA’s Center for Human Development Alaska ECHO project in partnership with the State of Alaska, Department of Health & Social Services.

Below is a selection of upcoming ECHO sessions. The full schedule of ECHO sessions and access to COVID-19 ECHO videos and slideshows are available for download anytime on the DHSS ECHO web page.

School Health ECHO
Monday, 3-4 p.m., ending May 23rd (Register)
The School Health ECHO is a virtual learning network intended for professionals in the education setting (administrators, school-based nurses, etc.) to interface with a team of medical and education experts in Alaska.

Vaccine ECHO for Providers
Every other Tuesday, 2-3 p.m. (Register)
The Vaccine ECHO for providers provides planning and operation updates to vaccine providers across Alaska, while answering any questions you may have.

Public Science ECHO
Every other Wednesday, 12-12:30 p.m., ending May 25th (Register)
The Alaska Public Health Science ECHO is a virtual learning network intended for the general public to interface with our Public Health Leadership Team to explore the science of the COVID-19 virus, other public health topics, and current best practices. Or view via concurrent livestream to Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/akechoprograms

Healthcare Specific Situational Awareness ECHO
Every other Thursday, 1-2 p.m., ending May 26th (Register)
The Healthcare Specific Situational ECHO is a virtual learning network intended for healthcare professionals to interface with our Public Health Leadership Team to explore current best practices and the most recent information related to Public Health.