The flu trend is in the right direction this week as we make our way through February. Although relatively high, numbers are down from their peaks.
Patient visits for respiratory illnesses decreased to 5.8%, above the national baseline of 3%. To date, 98 children have died of the flu this season, including 12 this week. Of all clinical lab tests, about 24.5% were positive for influenza.
Forty-nine of the 54 reporting jurisdictions (states, territories, and major cities) have reported moderate or higher activity. In addition, 2.8% of all deaths in the U.S. this past week were attributable to the flu.
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:
Very High (17 states and New York City): Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.
• Idaho saw an increase from High to Very High over the last week.
• Otherwise, all of the states were at Very High last week and remain there.
High (22 states and Washington D.C.): Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
• Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington DC, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina and Wisconsin all saw a 1-step decrease from Very High to High this week.
• The remaining states were all at High levels of flu last week and remain there this week.
Moderate (8 states): Alaska, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New York, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.
• New York saw a 2-step drop from Very High to Moderate.
• Minnesota and South Dakota dropped one step from High to Moderate.
• Montana, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming were all Moderate last week and are Moderate again this week.
• Alaska increased from Low to Moderate this week.
Low (2 states, Puerto Rico and the Northern Marianas): Hawaii and North Dakota.
• North Dakota saw a one-step decrease from Moderate to Low.
• Puerto Rico saw Low activity last week
• Hawaii and the Marianas Islands posted a one-step increase since last week.
Minimal (Virgin Islands)
• The Virgin Islands reported Low activity last week.
Vermont did not report.
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
