Flu Infections Are Increasing As The US Prepares For Potentially Severe Season

Oct, 2022 - By SMI

Weekly influenza cases have increased during the past two months.

As the nation gets ready for what may be a very bad season, influenza diagnoses are increasing in the United States.

The latest date for which statistics are available is October 1, and during that week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received reports of 969 cases of influenza A and 52 instances of influenza B.

Additionally, throughout that time the percent positive rate increased from 0.49 to 2.5%.

More than 120,000 outpatient visits for influenza-like illnesses were made by children aged 4 and under during the week ending October 1, a 25.5% increase from the nearly 95,600 visits made by this age group during the week ending August 6.

After few to no flu infections were reported during the previous two years, the CDC previously issued a warning that the U.S. may experience a severe flu season.

On a state level, similar patterns are being seen.

According to the state's Department of Health, 596 instances of influenza were verified in New York for the week ending October 1. The 150 confirmed cases at this time last year had increased by almost four times.

For the week ending October 1, the Department of Health and Human Services in Texas also reported 422 instances of influenza A and B. No confirmed instances were reported during the same period last year.

After Australia endured its worst flu season in five years, there is another indication of a possibly catastrophic season.

The peak of the season in June saw more than 30,000 cases every week, according to the nation's National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System.

Comparatively, 25,000 cases were reported per week during the peak of Australia's flu season in 2017.