The holidays came with a side of flu for many Americans, with 40 states reporting high or very high levels of illness last week, according to the latest government health data.
“A lot of flu out there,” said Carrie Reed of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Of course, there are a number of bugs that cause fever, cough, sore throat and other flulike symptoms. One is COVID-19. Another is RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, which is a common cause of coldlike symptoms but can be dangerous for infants and the elderly.
Reed said that the most recent CDC hospitalization data and other indicators show that the flu virus is trending higher than the other germs. 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.
“Now we’re really starting to roll,” he added. “Our hospitals are busy.”
Where flu illnesses are the highest
One indicator of flu activity is the percentage of doctor’s office visits driven by flulike 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 West. 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 others. So far it seems relatively typical, at least for kids, Newland said.
How to protect yourself
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.
You should also avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth because germs can spread that way, health officials say. You should also wash your hands with soap and water, clean frequently touched surfaces and avoid close contact with people who are sick.
The CDC also has been keeping its eye on a rise of illnesses from norovirus, a nasty stomach bug, with 91 outbreaks reported early in December.
Investigators also have been closely watching another kind of influenza virus, the Type A H5N1 version of bird flu. The CDC says 66 human U.S. cases of that were reported last year, but none of them in the last week.
The cases are “fairly sporadic,” and the overall risk to the public remains low, Reed said. Almost all have been traced to direct contact with infected animals, with no proof of spread between people.
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