US flu season most intense in at least 15 years

NEW YORK — 

The U.S. wintertime microorganism play is successful afloat force, and by 1 measurement is the astir aggravated successful 15 years.

One indicator of flu enactment is the percent of doctor's bureau visits driven by flu-like symptoms. Last week, that fig was intelligibly higher than the highest of immoderate wintertime flu play since 2009-10, according to information posted Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Of course, different viral infections tin beryllium mistaken for flu. But COVID-19 appears to beryllium connected the decline, according to infirmary information and CDC modeling projections. Available information besides suggests different respiratory illness, RSV, oregon respiratory syncytial virus, has been fading nationally.

The flu has forced schools to unopen down successful immoderate states. The Godley Independent School District, a 3,200-student strategy adjacent Fort Worth, Texas, past week closed for 3 days aft 650 students and 60 unit were retired Tuesday.

Jeff Meador, a territory spokesman, said astir illnesses determination person been flu, positive immoderate strep throat. He called it the worst flu play helium could remember.

So acold this season, the CDC estimates, determination person been astatine slightest 24 cardinal flu illnesses, 310,000 hospitalizations and 13,000 deaths — including astatine slightest 57 children.

Traditionally, flu play peaks astir February.

Overall, 43 states reported precocious oregon precise precocious flu enactment past week. Flu was astir aggravated successful the South, Southwest and Western states.

In Rochester, New York, the flu play has been aggravated but not needfully worse than astatine the highest of different years, said Dr. Elizabeth Murray, a pediatric exigency medicine doc astatine the University of Rochester Medical Center.

She said determination is simply a batch of flu, but determination is besides inactive a batch of RSV and a astonishing fig of babies with COVID-19.

"All of the respiratory illnesses are around, with a vengeance," Murray added.

The CDC declined to fto an Associated Press newsman talk to an bureau flu adept astir caller trends. The Trump medication ordered a impermanent "pause" connected wellness bureau communications and has continued to garbage interrogation requests that were routinely granted successful the past.

U.S. wellness officials urge that everyone 6 months and older get an yearly flu vaccination.

About 44% of adults got flu shots this winter, the aforesaid arsenic past winter. But sum of children is down, astatine astir 45% this winter. It's usually astir 50%, according to CDC data.

About 23% of U.S. adults were up to day connected their COVID-19 vaccinations arsenic of precocious January, up from astir 20% astatine the aforesaid constituent successful clip the twelvemonth before. COVID-19 vaccination rates for kids were astir the same, astatine astir 12%.

The authorities has not yet reported its estimates of however good this season's flu vaccine is working.

Testing results from patients bespeak that 2 strains of seasonal flu are causing the astir illnesses: benignant A H1N1 and H3N2. Health officials are intimately watching a 3rd strain — H5N1 vertebrate flu — that has sickened tens of millions of animals and is known to person infected 67 radical successful the U.S.

To debar seasonal viruses, doctors accidental you should debar touching your eyes, chemoreceptor and rima due to the fact that germs tin dispersed that way. You should besides lavation your hands with soap and water, cleanable often touched surfaces, and debar adjacent interaction with radical who are sick.