Nov. 14, 2023 – In what looks similar a instrumentality to a emblematic pre-pandemic flu season, cases nationwide proceed to dilatory ascent this fall, nationalist infectious illness adept and pharmacy information shows.
Flu is inactive thing to messiness with, and officials are promoting the flu enactment results arsenic a reminder for radical to get their flu shots arsenic soon arsenic imaginable – earlier an expected highest aboriginal adjacent year.
Seasonal influenza enactment is expanding successful astir parts of the country, chiefly successful the South Central, Southeast, and West Coast regions, the CDC said in updated numbers released Monday. In the anterior week, the fig of laboratory tests affirmative for the flu was up 3%, and the fig of outpatient visits for respiratory unwellness was up 2.9%.
Numbers from a nationalist pharmacy concatenation shows the aforesaid wide dilatory summation successful cases and the highest flu enactment crossed the confederate United States. As of Nov. 4, 2023, Puerto Rico, Mississippi, and Louisiana had the astir flu activity, the 2023-2024 Walgreens Flu Index shows.
“At this time, it is precise debased activity. There's not overmuch of a flu play yet,” said Pedro Piedra, MD, a prof of molecular virology and microbiology astatine Baylor College of Medicine successful Houston.
The large microorganism circulating present is respiratory syncytial microorganism (RSV) and not influenza. “But that doesn't mean that the flu is not going to come. Viruses travel successful waves,” Piedra said. “Until then, this is the champion clip to beryllium vaccinated and to beryllium getting prepared for the flu season.”
The fig of play flu infirmary admissions is besides increasing, with 1,962 radical hospitalized successful the past week of CDC surveillance. Admissions are up slightly, compared to the week before, with seniors and children younger than 4 accounting for the astir cases. The bureau reports that 1 kid has died from the flu truthful acold this season.
“While it’s aboriginal days and flu play is ever unpredictable, our humanities information suggest this could beryllium a instrumentality to a emblematic two-wave flu season, wherever enactment starts to highest successful December and reaches its highest constituent successful February,” Kevin Ban, MD, Walgreens’ main aesculapian officer, said successful a statement.
Index flu enactment is based connected changes successful the fig of antiviral medications utilized to dainty influenza each week crossed Walgreens and Duane Reade drugstore locations successful the U.S. Data is provided by authorities and portion arsenic well.
“The scale is not intended to exemplify flu severity, but rather, based connected this methodology, to amusement which populations are experiencing the highest incidence of influenza wrong the United States and Puerto Rico each week,” a institution merchandise said.
Piedra cautioned that different infections could origin radical to acquisition antiviral medications. Laboratory-confirmed flu corruption data, similar numbers provided by the CDC, would beryllium much precise, helium said.
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