As 2026 gets underway, Louisiana is once again making an unwelcome headline; ranking among the states with the highest influenza activity in the country. And doctors say the flu isn’t the only illness sending people to the emergency room.
Infectious disease specialist Dr. MarkAlain Déry says COVID infections are also pouring into ERs across the state, creating a challenging start to the year for healthcare providers.
“We’re seeing high levels of influenza, but we’re also seeing a significant number of COVID cases,” Déry says. “Emergency rooms are feeling it.”
Déry says part of the surge is tied to confusion around vaccines, along with a flu strain that emerged after this year’s vaccine was formulated.
“There is a strain circulating that the current flu vaccine wasn’t designed to fight,” he says. “That’s playing a role in what we’re seeing right now.”
Despite that, Déry emphasizes that vaccination still matters, especially as vaccination rates sit at historic lows. He warns that illness numbers are expected to rise before they improve.
“Things will get worse before they get better,” Déry says. “Low vaccination rates make it harder to slow the spread.”
In New Orleans, Déry says one additional factor looms large: Mardi Gras. With visitors arriving from around the world and crowds packed tightly along parade routes, he says an increase in illness is likely.
“When you bring large numbers of people together in close quarters, you’re going to see more transmission,” he says.
Déry says most people do not need to mask unless they are immunocompromised or feeling sick, but he urges the public to take basic precautions, including staying home when ill and getting vaccinated.
“Vaccines, good hygiene, and common-sense practices still make a difference,” he says.
For now, Déry says residents should prepare for elevated illness levels to stick around.
“These numbers aren’t going to drop off anytime soon,” he says.
