Weekly Flu Update: Flu Continues to Climb

With Thanksgiving in the rear-view mirror and snowflakes flying across much of the country, that means that the other wintertime scourge is taking root – flu.
 
Patient visits for respiratory illnesses increased to 2.9%, below the national baseline of 3%. Thankfully, no pediatric deaths have been reported this flu season. Of all clinical lab tests, about 7.1% were positive for influenza.
 
Our flu surveillance product will continue to focus on the severity of the flu rather than the geographic spread. This information is reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by each state’s health department, ranging on a scale from “minimal” to “very high” levels of activity.
 
States and territories reporting flu include the following activity and trends:
 
No states reported Very High-level activity.
 
High (3 states, Puerto Rico and New York City): Colorado, Louisiana and New York.

• New York and Puerto Rico had low flu activity last week, marking a 2-step increase.
• New York City reported moderate flu activity in the last report.
• Colorado and Louisiana reported high flu activity last week and remain at that level. 

Moderate (2 states): Idaho and New Jersey.

• New Jersey reported a minimal level of flu last week, increasing two steps this week.
• Idaho reported low flu activity last week.

Low (16 states and Washington, D.C.): California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Texas.

• California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio and Oregon all reported minimal flu as week.
• Washington, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Texas had low flu activity last week and remained there this week.

Minimal (29 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Marianas Islands): Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

• All of the aforementioned states had minimal flu last week. 

 
Flu Facts:
The CDC recommends that everyone older than six months get the seasonal flu vaccine, either via an injection or nasal spray. Consult with your doctor or pharmacist to learn about flu vaccine side effects, precautions, and vaccine options—several multi-strain variations are available this year.
 
Due to certain health restrictions, not everyone is eligible to receive the flu shot. If you cannot get vaccinated, there are other ways to minimize your risk of contracting and spreading the flu:

• Avoid close contact with those who are sick.
• If you are sick, avoid exposing others by staying home from work or school.
• Cover your mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing.
• Wash your hands frequently.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.

Lastly, getting a flu shot is not a guarantee that you won’t catch the flu, but it can help reduce the risk and severity of symptoms. The CDC urges doctors to prescribe one or a combination of the three available prescription antiviral drugs to patients with flu-like symptoms. If given early enough, antivirals can lessen the intensity and duration of influenza symptoms.
 
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Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention