- Flu season normally peaks in February. This year is the worst seen in 15 years when it comes to doctor’s visits due to the flu.
- More than 300,000 people have gone to the hospital seeking treatment.
- Experts say they have not seen this many flu-related health visits since 2009 and 2010, when H1N1 was prevalent.
Full Story
Flu season in the United States is the worst it has been in 15 years when it comes to visits to doctor’s offices. The CDC reports that seasonal influenza activity remains elevated and continues to increase. February is usually when flu season peaks.
How many people have gone to the hospital or died?
Experts say it’s the highest number of doctor visits since the H1N1 or swine flu outbreak in 2009-10. For this particular season, the CDC has recorded 310,000 hospitalizations for flu-like symptoms and 13,000 deaths from the flu, including 57 children.
How has flu season affected school attendance?
Schools have shut down in some states, due to illness. For instance, the Godley Independent School District in Fort Worth, Texas, had 650 students and 60 staff members out sick this week. A school district spokesman said a vast majority were because of the flu.
What areas of the country are most impacted?
This year, the flu has been most intense in the South, the Southwest and the West. A total of 43 states reported high or very high flu activity last week.
CDC data shows about 44% of adults got a flu shot this year, which is similar to last year. However, vaccination of children is down this winter to 45%, compared to a normal year, which is about 50%.
What about COVID-19?
There is some encouraging news on the health front. Health experts say COVID-19 appears to be declining, as is the respiratory illness known as RSV.
