UC San Diego Partnership with County Helps Hospitals Prepare for Respiratory Virus Surges

The forecasts are now part of the County’s updated respiratory virus report, which also tracks infections and emergency department visits.

Flu activity is rising unusually early in San Diego County this year, underscoring the importance of getting vaccinated.

A partnership between the University of California San Diego and the County of San Diego is helping local hospitals prepare for respiratory virus surges with new forecasts of hospitalizations for flu, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Developed through Resilient Shield, an initiative to improve public health decision-making and response to disease outbreaks, the forecasts are now featured in the County’s revised Respiratory Virus Surveillance Report. The team uses local hospitalization data to project admissions over the next two weeks, giving hospitals and other health care partners an indication of whether admissions are likely to rise or fall.