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Flu activity across the United States continues to surge, with almost the entire country experiencing high or very high levels of illness, according to the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The flu test positivity has approached almost 30% and going by the rise in outpatient visits for respiratory illnesses for nine consecutive weeks, it seems that the virus is showing no signs of slowing down. Several states, particularly in the Southeast and Northeast, have reached the highest flu activity level, raising concerns as the season progresses.
The latest data by CDC shows that most of the samples tested positive for flu were influenza A, and subtypes influenza A samples were about evenly split between the H3N2 and 2009 H1N1 strains.
Every year the onset of winter triggers a triple-demic of RSV, Covid, and Flu, but this time Norovirus has also joined the gang, making it a quad-demic, adding to the load on the healthcare system.
Very high levels of flu reported
There is no sign of infection rate abating, as CDC’s flu activity map shows a lot of red depicting high or very high activity. What’s concerning is that some states are coloured purple on the map, which shows the highest level on the activity scale. They include Southeastern states such as Louisiana, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and New Hampshire also show a large number of infections.
Rise in flu deaths in children
The current flu season is proving to be deadly for children as CDC reports 16 more pediatric flu deaths in children, increasing the season’s total to 47. The deaths were reported between the middle of December and the week ending January 25, all involving influenza A, and, of 13 subtyped samples, 7 were H1N1 and 6 were H3N2.
Low Covid rates, skyrocketing flu cases
It has been observed that an unexpected mix of viruses has been raising the hospitalization rates this year in the US instead of Covid-19, the respiratory virus that has been wreaking havoc for five years now.
Covid virus levels in wastewater were low compared to past winters and so were the hospitalisations due to it.
This season the viruses that infected the most were walking pneumonia, RSV, norovirus and bird flu along with influenza which is leading to high hospitalization rates.
It is common to experience a wave of airborne viruses in winters as people are more likely to meet in indoor settings which makes spread of infections easier. It is important to stay updated with your vaccine schedule and follow measures like washing hands with soap and wearing a face mask.
(Picture courtesy: X/NFID, iStock)
