At present the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) in its weekly FluView replace, confirmed 11 new pediatric deaths for the week ending on January 11, lifting the overall through the 2024-25 flu season to 27.
General deaths are additionally rising, with flu accounting for 1.5% of deaths within the second week of January. Seasonal influenza exercise stays elevated throughout many of the nation, with an 18.8% positivity charge, based on scientific lab knowledge.
Excessive flu exercise anticipated for a number of extra weeks
Outpatient visits for flu are trending down, however the CDC stated this isn’t seemingly a sign that the flu season has peaked.
“Though some indicators have decreased or remained secure this week in comparison with final, this could possibly be resulting from adjustments in healthcare in search of habits or reporting through the holidays reasonably than a sign that influenza exercise has peaked,” the CDC stated. “The nation continues to be experiencing elevated influenza exercise, and that’s anticipated to proceed for a number of extra weeks.”
The CDC estimates that there have been not less than 12 million sicknesses, 160,000 hospitalizations, and 6,600 deaths from flu to date this season.
Influenza A H1N1 and H3N2 are nonetheless the dominant strains this season, representing 43.1% and 56.8% of typed samples, respectively, from public well being laboratories final week.
COVID-19 exercise rising whereas RSV slows
In updates on the widespread respiratory sicknesses of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) an infection, flu, and COVID-19, the CDC stated COVID-19 exercise has elevated in most areas of the nation, whereas RSV exercise has peaked in lots of areas.
General respiratory viral sickness exercise is excessive in america, with emergency division (ED) visits for all three illnesses rising. ED visits for COVID-19 are nonetheless low, whereas flu and RSV are labeled as excessive.
Wastewater detections are excessive for COVID-19 and influenza, however now average for RSV. Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 variants reveals XEC accounted for 43% of COVID-19 instances, with LP.8.1 accounting for 15%, and KP.3.1.1 accounting for 14%.
Wastewater detections for COVID-19 viruses are highest within the higher Midwest, together with Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Missouri, and the Northeast, together with Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire.
COVID predictions for the following two weeks recommend that emergency division visits will stay at a decrease degree in comparison with prior winter seasons
“COVID predictions for the following two weeks recommend that emergency division visits will stay at a decrease degree in comparison with prior winter seasons,” the CDC stated. “Influenza predictions recommend that emergency division visits will stay at a excessive to very excessive degree for the following two weeks.”
