Flu cases on the rise as omicron rages across the US. Here’s what to know
Back from its 2020 hiatus, the flu is cropping up across the U.S. as a growing number of states report “high” to “very high” rates of seasonal influenza, public health data shows.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported roughly 4,500 flu cases and over 1,200 hospitalizations for the week that ended Dec. 18, citing nationwide clinical testing. The resurgence comes as the highly contagious omicron variant drives a surge in new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and beyond.
The data, released in the CDC’s weekly “FluView” surveillance report, suggests the nation could be in for double trouble if cases continue trending in the wrong direction.
“We have seen how surges in Covid-19 infections can overwhelm hospitals, and influenza infections could further stress health care systems,” Sonja Olsen, a CDC epidemiologist, told The New York Times last week. “If both viruses continue to circulate and increase in activity, the situation could get worse.”
Flu cases and hospitalizations are on the rise with “eastern and central parts of the country seeing the largest increases,” according to the CDC. Washington, D.C., has emerged has a hot spot for new flu cases, data show, and several states — including Kansas, Indiana, New Mexico and New Jersey — are experiencing especially “high” rates of flu activity.
The majority of flu cases reported so far this season were among kids and young adults aged 5 to 24, though officials are starting to see increased infections in people aged 25 and older. The first two flu-related deaths among children were also reported this week, per the CDC.
Some public health experts expect flu activity to rebound to pre-pandemic levels after an almost non-existent flu season last year, likely due to lockdowns, social distancing, mask wearing and other COVID-19 safety protocols.
Those restrictions have since relaxed, raising questions and concerns about the severity of the upcoming flu season. Dr. Abinash Virk, an infectious disease expert at Mayo Clinic, also pointed to increased travel as family and friends prepare to gather for end-of-year celebrations.
“We know influenza this year will be similar to our pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels,” she told HealthDay. “We don’t know how high it’s going to be, but that’s something that we’re watching.”
Officials said while there are “some antigenic differences” between the flu virus that’s circulating and what the flu vaccine is meant to target, vaccination is still your best line of defense against getting sick. However, early signs show fewer people are rolling up their sleeves for the vaccine compared to last year, according to the CDC.
Dr. Lynnette Brammer, who heads the agency’s domestic influenza surveillance team, said it’s “really too early” to tell how these factors could affect the upcoming flu season.
“We’ll have to see what the impact of these little changes” will be, Brammer told the Associated Press. “Flu vaccine is your best way to protect yourself against flu.”
This story was originally published December 28, 2021 at 3:28 PM with the headline "Flu cases on the rise as omicron rages across the US. Here’s what to know."