Flu activity is high and expected to remain so for several weeks, CDC says
Winter viruses are raging right now, with flu leading the way at extremely high levels in the West, across the Midwest and deep into the Southeast, the CDC reported Monday.
Winter viruses are raging right now, with flu leading the way at extremely high levels in the West, across the Midwest and deep into the Southeast, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Monday.
Flu-related hospitalizations and deaths are on the rise, and experts predict there’s much more to come.
“I feel confident that flu activity is going to be elevated for several more weeks,” said Alicia Budd, head of the CDC’s domestic influenza surveillance team.
The latest report reflects what was happening during the week ending Jan. 4 — right after the holidays — and suggests there was a slight dip in flu activity. That’s probably an anomaly, Budd said, because people are less likely to go to the doctor over the holidays and while on vacation.
Flu A strains are currently dominant, especially H3N2 and H1N1. While adults 65 and older are most likely to be hospitalized with the flu, the viruses that are circulating are hitting all age groups.
Rating: 5