Reporting COVID, flu and RSV to your state

Current state of respiratory illness in the US

Since the start of 2024 flu-like illnesses have gone up in 17 U.S. states, an increase from the previous week. As we transitioned to the new year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) painted a concerning picture of the current state of infectious diseases across the United States. Doctor visits and hospitalizations for flu and COVID are on the rise, while respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity is declining in certain areas. Emergency department visits for respiratory issues are elevated for all age groups, except school-age children. Flu cases are escalating, particularly in seniors, with outpatient visits reaching 6.9%. Meanwhile, COVID trends show mixed results, with higher wastewater levels and test positivity but fewer cases requiring medical attention. 

The importance of reporting

When we look at the data coming from the CDC, one of the sources that gives insights is reportable testing. Public officials rely on accurate COVID-19 and flu testing information to track patterns of infection and surges in COVID-19 and flu cases, as well as to develop public health guidance such as vaccination campaigns and masking recommendations.

The public health departments collect laboratory test results and send the information to a central repository. When testing results go unreported, public health can make recommendations based on data that may not reflect current COVID-19 and flu levels.

Make reporting easy

With Relaymed you can automatically send a complete submission for each infectious disease test directly to public health agencies by utilizing their electronic lab reporting (ELR) interfaces. With interfaces to devices for patient results, EHRs for patient demographics, and state ELRs for submission, Relaymed is able to create a full workflow for state reporting. By fully automating this process, Relaymed eliminates all opportunities for manual data entry errors from end to end.

Not just for respiratory illnesses

While we originally built our state reporting capabilities to help with compliance for COVID-19 reporting, we have now expanded it to cover all infectious diseases including STIs, lead and more.

Want to learn more? Give us a shout!