The season of flu in the United States is getting worse, but it is still too early to know to what extent Christmas gatherings have contributed to a likely increase in sick.
New government data released Friday on last week — the holiday week between Christmas and New Year— show 38 states with high or very high levels of respiratory illnesses with fever, cough and others symptoms. This figure is up from 31 states the previous week.
The measure is likely to include people with COVID-19RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and other winter viruses, and not only with flu. But the flu appears to be increasing more dramatically, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“It is expected to remain elevated for several more weeks”said Alicia Budd of the CDC. So far, however, it is a mild flu season, she said.
The interpretation of reports on the flu during and after the holidays can be complicated, he noted. The schools are closed. There are more people traveling. Some people decide not to go to the doctor and stay home. Others, however, are more inclined to go to the doctor.
Flu season typically peaks between December and February; CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said she expects it to peak later this month. Officials say this season’s flu vaccines are well-tailored to the strain that is spreading the most.
According to CDC estimates, since early October there have been at least 10 million cases, 110,000 hospitalizations and 6,500 flu deaths so far this season. According to the agency, 27 children have died from flu.
It is possible that the COVID-19 cases are not increasing as rapidly as the flu this winter. CDC data indicates that hospitalizations caused by the coronavirus have not reached the same levels as the last three winters. Still, CDC data indicates that COVID-19 It is hospitalizing more people than the flu.
Lauren Ancel Meyers of the University of Texas indicated that the United States is experiencing a second surge of COVID-19 after a minor peak in September.
A new version of the coronavirus, called JN.1, is responsible for almost two-thirds of cases in USA, according to a CDC estimate. But health officials say there is no evidence it causes more severe illness than other recent variants.
Source: Gestion
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