Dec. 9 (UPI) — Flu cases are spiking across the United States, according to weekly figures released Friday by the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“So far this season, there have been at least 13 million illnesses, 120,000 hospitalizations and 7,300 deaths from flu,” according to the CDC’s Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report.
Seven influenza pediatric deaths were reported over the past week, while the number of flu-related hospitalizations increased since last week’s figures were released.
The cumulative hospitalization rate tracked by the Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance Network is the highest number recorded in the 48th week of a year since the 2010-2011 season.
The CDC said 25,906 patients were admitted to hospitals with influenza in the past week, and data shows that all viruses collected and studied this season have been susceptible to antivirals.
Data from the Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network shows that 7.2% of patient visits reported through the system were due to respiratory illnesses that include fever, cough and sore throat. The figure is significantly higher than the national baseline of 2.5%.
While the percentage of visits for respiratory illnesses reported for people age 24 and younger decreased over the past week, the percentage increased among people above age 25.
Nursing homes and long-term care facilities also have seen a spike in respiratory illnesses, with 5.4% of 14,321 facilities covered by the program reporting at least one influenza case among residents.
The CDC is urging citizens to get flu vaccinations to protect themselves and help control the spread of influenza.
Meanwhile COVID-19 is surging in many communities, with 13.7% of Americans now living in communities with a high COVID-19 infection designation. New York State heath officials sent a letter to school districts urging a return to indoor masking.
Los Angeles County health officials warned the public that if current trends continue, it is likely that an indoor mask mandate will be reimposed.
