Cnn
–
Seasonal flu activity remains high in the United States but continues to slow in most of the rest of the country, according to data Released on Friday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Hospital admissions from flu fell for the second week in a row last week. There were approximately 21,000 new hospitalizations for the week ending December 17. That’s down from a seasonal high of more than 26,000 new admissions two weeks ago, which is the week after Thanksgiving.
Despite this increase, it is unclear whether the virus has reached its peak. Respiratory virus activity remains “high” or “very high” in nearly every state, and experts warn things could escalate again as holiday travel and gatherings continue.
The CDC estimates that there have been at least 18 million illnesses, 190,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 deaths from the flu so far this season.
The cumulative hospitalization rate is six times higher than this season in more than a decade.
And the flu isn’t the only virus out there. Another respiratory viral soup has been circulating for weeks, causing an unusually high number of hospitalizations.
As of Friday, hospital capacity remained near record highs with about 77% of beds used nationwide.
RSV peaked in the US as the rate of positive tests and the rate of new hospitalizations slowed over the past month and weekly hospitalizations for RSV decreased significantly over the past month. But hospital admissions are still slightly higher than normal.
Covid-19 rates are still well below previous increases, but the trend is definitely up in the US: New hospital admissions have risen nearly 50% in the past month.
Sean O’Leary, chair of the Committee on Infectious Diseases at the American Academy of Pediatrics and professor of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Colorado Children’s Hospital, told CNN it’s hard to predict what will happen from that point on. on . The RSV and flu season started early and may have already peaked.
The holidays can still lead to an increase in illness.
“Sometimes the holidays cause a slight, sometimes a moderate spike in infections, due to people crowding inside,” O’Leary said.
US health officials are urging people to get flu and Covid-19 shots, wear masks in the most serious situations, and focus on handwashing.
White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator, Dr. Ashish Jha, appealed to the public to abide by a general rule, namely, ‘If you feel unwell, you should stay at home’.
