Weekly Flu Update: Flu Rates Continue to Drop

The end of March is bringing the end of the flu season, as most states have now shed their high flu activity levels.

 

Patient visits for respiratory illnesses decreased to 3.2%, slightly above the national baseline of 3%. To date, 168 children have died of the flu this season, including 9 this week. Of all clinical lab tests, about 9.7% were positive for influenza.

 

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:

 

No states reported Very High activity.

 

High (2 states): Maine and New York

• Both states reported High activity last week as well.

Moderate (10 states, New York City and Washington, D.C.): Connecticut, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island and Virginia.

• Louisiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, Oregon and New York City all decreased one step from High to Moderate.

• Connecticut, Washington DC, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Virginia were all Moderate last week and continue to report Moderate flu levels.

 

Low (9 states): California, Colorado, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.

• New Jersey, Ohio, South Carolina and Washington all dropped one step from Moderate to Low.

• California, Colorado, North Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin were Low last week and remain at Low.

 

Minimal (28 states, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the Northern Marianas): Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.

• Idaho and Tennessee dropped two steps from Moderate to Minimal.

• Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and the U.S. Virgin Islands were Low last week and dropped one step to Minimal.

• The remaining states were at Minimal levels of flu activity and remain there.

 

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