Weekly Flu Update: Flu Season Slowly Winding Down
There is a light at the end of the flu season tunnel, and we are rapidly moving toward it as the calendar gets ready to switch to April.
Clinical laboratories reported 11.5% positivity for influenza, and 2.9% of outpatient visits were for respiratory illness. The influenza‑attributed mortality was 0.3% of all deaths. The CDC reported 8 additional pediatric deaths this week, for a season total of 123.
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 flu activity.
High (4 states): Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico and Oregon.
- All four states saw High flu activity last week as well.
Moderate (9 states): Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee.
- New Jersey and New York saw an increase in flu activity from Low to Moderate.
- Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Hampshire and South Carolina remain at Moderate flu levels.
- Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee are trending downward this week, from High to Moderate.
Low (21 states, Washington, D.C., and New York City): Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New York City, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.
- Washington, D.C., New York City and Wyoming saw an increase in flu activity this week as compared to last week, moving from Minimal to Low.
- Arizona, California, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maine, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington and West Virginia continue to have Low levels of flu activity.
- Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota and Virginia decreased from Moderate to Low levels of flu activity.
- Iowa, Kansas and Michigan noted a two-step decrease in activity, dropping from High to Low.
Minimal (16 states, the Northern Marianas, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands): Alabama, Alaska, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Wisconsin.
- Alaska, the Northern Marianas, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, Puerto Rico, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, the Virgin Islands and Wisconsin have remained at Minimal flu levels from last week to this week.
- Alabama, Florida, Nevada and North Carolina witnessed a drop in flu activity over the last week, moving from Low to Minimal.
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.
---
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention