CNN
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Seasonal influenza activity remains high in the United States, although it continues to slow in most parts of the country. data It was announced Friday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Influenza hospitalizations declined for the second week in a row last week. About 21,000 new hospitalizations were made in his week to December 17. This is down from his over 26,000 new hospitalizations two weeks ago, which was the week after Thanksgiving.
Despite these improvements, it is not clear if the virus has reached its peak. Respiratory virus activity remains “high” or “very high” in nearly every state, and experts warn things could get worse again as holiday travel and gatherings continue. I’m here.
The CDC estimates that there have been at least 18 million illnesses, 190,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 flu deaths so far this season.
Cumulative hospitalization rates are more than six times higher than 10 years at this point in the season.
Influenza is not the only virus that is prevalent. A stew of other respiratory viruses has been spreading for weeks, resulting in an unusually high number of hospitalizations.
As of Friday, hospital capacity was near record levels, with about 77% of beds nationwide being occupied.
RSV peaked in the United States and weekly RSV hospitalizations declined dramatically over the past month as positive test rates and new hospitalization rates declined over the past month. However, hospitalizations are still slightly higher than normal.
Covid-19 levels are well below previous spikes, but the trend is steadily increasing across the United States.New hospital admissions have surged nearly 50% in the past month.
Dr. Sean O’Leary, chair of the Infectious Diseases Committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics and professor of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Colorado, told CNN what happens after RSV infection. “It’s hard to predict,” he said. Both flu seasons start early and may already have peaked.
Vacations can still cause an increase in illness.
“Holidays lead to small, sometimes mild spikes in infections as people gather indoors,” O’Leary said.
U.S. health officials are urging people to get flu and Covid-19 shots, wear masks in high-risk situations, and focus on hand washing.
Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator, urged people to stick to the rule of thumb, especially “If you’re not feeling well, you should stay home.”
