Nov. 14, 2023 – In what appears to be like like a return to a typical pre-pandemic flu season, circumstances nationwide proceed to slowly climb this fall, nationwide infectious illness skilled and pharmacy knowledge reveals.
Flu remains to be nothing to mess with, and officers are selling the flu exercise outcomes as a reminder for individuals to get their flu photographs as quickly as potential – earlier than an anticipated peak early subsequent 12 months.
Seasonal influenza exercise is growing in most elements of the nation, primarily within the South Central, Southeast, and West Coast areas, the CDC mentioned in up to date numbers launched Monday. Within the prior week, the variety of lab exams optimistic for the flu was up 3%, and the variety of outpatient visits for respiratory sickness was up 2.9%.
Numbers from a nationwide pharmacy chain reveals the identical total sluggish enhance in circumstances and the very best flu exercise throughout the southern United States. As of Nov. 4, 2023, Puerto Rico, Mississippi, and Louisiana had probably the most flu exercise, the 2023-2024 Walgreens Flu Index reveals.
“Right now, it is vitally low exercise. There’s not a lot of a flu season but,” mentioned Pedro Piedra, MD, a professor of molecular virology and microbiology at Baylor Faculty of Medication in Houston.
The key virus circulating now’s respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and never influenza. “However that does not imply that the flu just isn’t going to come back. Viruses are available waves,” Piedra mentioned. “Till then, that is one of the best time to be vaccinated and to be getting ready for the flu season.”
The variety of weekly flu hospital admissions can be growing, with 1,962 individuals hospitalized previously week of CDC surveillance. Admissions are up barely, in comparison with the week earlier than, with seniors and kids youthful than 4 accounting for probably the most circumstances. The company reviews that one baby has died from the flu to date this season.
“Whereas it’s early days and flu season is all the time unpredictable, our historic knowledge recommend this could possibly be a return to a typical two-wave flu season, the place exercise begins to peak in December and reaches its highest level in February,” Kevin Ban, MD, Walgreens’ chief medical officer, mentioned in an announcement.
Index flu exercise is predicated on adjustments within the variety of antiviral drugs used to deal with influenza each week throughout Walgreens and Duane Reade drugstore areas within the U.S. Information is offered by state and area as effectively.
“The index just isn’t meant as an example flu severity, however quite, based mostly on this system, to indicate which populations are experiencing the very best incidence of influenza inside america and Puerto Rico every week,” an organization launch mentioned.
Piedra cautioned that different infections might trigger individuals to buy antiviral drugs. Laboratory-confirmed flu an infection knowledge, like numbers offered by the CDC, can be extra exact, he mentioned.
