Weekly Flu Update: Spring Brings Lower Flu Rates

As the calendar continues to march deeper into the month of March, flu cases continue to trend downward.

 

Patient visits for respiratory illnesses decreased to 3.9%, still above the national baseline of 3%. To date, 151 children have died of the flu this season, including 17 this week. Of all clinical lab tests, about 13.3% 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 (18 states, New York City and Washington D.C.): Connecticut, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.

 

• Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, New Mexico, New York and Ohio all dropped one step from Very High to High.

• Connecticut, Washington DC, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington and New York City were High last week and remain at High.

• Rhode Island increased one step from Moderate to High.

 

Moderate (13 states): Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin.

 

• Alabama, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, North Carolina and Texas decreased one step from High to Moderate.

• Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Wisconsin were at Moderate last week and remain at Moderate levels of flu.

• Nevada increased one step from Low to Moderate.

 

Low (9 states, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico): Arkansas, California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wyoming.

 

• Arkansas, California, Florida, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wyoming dropped one step from Moderate to Low.

• Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Puerto Rico were Low last week.

• The Virgin Islands increased one step from Minimal to Low.

 

Minimal (9 states and the Northern Marianas): Delaware, Hawaii, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Utah.

 

• Nebraska dropped two steps from Moderate to Minimal.

• Delaware, Minnesota and Utah were Low last week and dropped to Minimal.

• Hawaii, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and the Northern Marianas saw Minimal 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