#17,767
If you do get sick, stay home and call your doctor to see if an antiviral would be appropriate.
Just in time for the busy Thanksgiving travel holiday, influenza rates are beginning to pick up, particularly in the southern tier of states.
H1N1 currently dominates the influenza A landscape, and is having a significant impact on younger people (see Outpatient Respiratory Illness Visits by Age Group chart below).
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Some excerpts from today's FluView report follow.
Key Points
- Seasonal influenza activity continues to increase in most parts of the country, most notably in the South Central, Southeast, and West Coast regions.
- Outpatient respiratory illness is above baseline1 nationally for the second week and is at or above baseline in five of 10 HHS Regions. Region 3 (Mid-Atlantic) is at its region-specific outpatient respiratory illness baseline and Regions 2, 4, 6, and 9 (New York/New Jersey/Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands, Southeast, South Central, and West Coast) are above their region-specific baselines.
- The number of weekly flu hospital admissions continues to increase.
- During week 45, of the 310 viruses reported by public health laboratories, 235 (75.8%) were influenza A and 75 (24.2%) were influenza B. Of the 133 influenza A viruses subtyped during week 45, 116 (87.2%) were influenza A(H1N1) and 17 (12.8%) were A(H3N2).
- CDC estimates that there have been at least 780,000 illnesses, 8,000 hospitalizations, and 490 deaths from flu so far this season.
- CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get an annual flu vaccine.2
- There also are prescription flu antiviral drugs that can be used to treat flu illness; those should be started as early as possible and are especially important for higher risk patients.3
- Influenza viruses are among several viruses that contribute to respiratory disease activity. CDC is providing updated, integrated information about COVID-19, influenza, and RSV activity on a weekly basis.
With the bulk of the flu season still ahead of us, it isn't too late to get a flu shot, and face masks and hand sanitizer can add prudent additional layers of protection.
