Health officials warn that flu activity is increasing across the U.S. with 40 states reporting high or very high levels of illness. The CDC recommends annual flu vaccinations for everyone 6 months and older.
U.S. health officials recommend that everyone 6 months and older get an annual flu vaccination, and they say it’s not too late to get a shot. For many Americans, with 40 states reporting high or very high levels of illness last week, according to the latest data. Of course, there are a number of bugs that cause fever, cough, sore throat and other flu-like symptoms. One is COVID-19.
Another is RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, which is a common cause of cold-like symptoms but can be dangerous for infants and the elderly. The most recent CDC hospitalization data and other indicators show that the flu virus is trending higher than the other germs, Reed said. Several seasonal flu strains are driving cases, with no dominant one, she added. Pediatric hospitals have been busy since November with RSV, but “influenza has now joined the party,” said Dr. Jason Newland, an infectious diseases specialist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. It’s cold and flu season again, which means you could be left wondering which virus is causing your symptoms. Here’s what you need to know. One indicator of flu activity is the percentage of doctor’s office visits driven by flu-like symptoms. That level last week was about equal to the peak of last winter’s respiratory virus season — which occurred at the same time of year. Reed noted that most people avoid medical appointments over the holidays if they can help it, so the data in late December might be skewed by people who came down with sudden illnesses. Last week's flu activity was particularly intense in the South, Southwest and western U.S. The states reporting lesser amounts of suffering were mostly in the northern Great Plains and in New England. So far this season, the CDC estimates, there have been at least 5.3 million flu illnesses, 63,000 hospitalizations, and 2,700 deaths — including at least 11 children. It’s not clear if this winter respiratory virus season will be any worse than other
FLU RSV VACCINATION SEASONAL ILLNESS OUTBREAK
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