Although US flu activity fell for the third consecutive week last week, the significant impacts in hospitals and outpatient clinics are still felt, with 16 more pediatric influenza deaths reported, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in a latest update.
For the first time since 2017-18, the nation still knows the high-intensity season, indicating that the trend is declining, although the positive flu tests last week were still high at 18.9%. Nationwide, the percentage of outpatient visits with clear illnesses for just 5% being slightly shy has exceeded the national baseline for 14 consecutive weeks, with all regions of the country exceeding the regional baseline.
The country is in the second half of the flu season, but flu A was often surged in flu B activity, with 96% of positive flu tests in public health labs last week.
Hospitalizations tracked through Flusurv-net show that last week's cumulative rate was the highest since the 2010-11 season, with CDC's National Health Safety Network (NHSN) hospital respiratory data showing that over 29,500 people were hospitalized with the flu last week, showing a downward trend.
Overall deaths from the flu have decreased, but once again outweighed COVID-19 deaths. The newly reported 16 pediatric influenza deaths pushed season totals to 114. This is compared to all 187 deaths from last season 2022-23 and 207. Of the most recent deaths, 15 were associated with influenza A and 1 was linked to influenza B in nine subtypes of influenza A samples. 5 was H1N1 and 4 was H3N2.
Currently compensates for low levels of wastewater detection
In the case of Covid, positive tests remained stable and emergency department visits and hospitalizations continue to decline, the CDC said in its weekly respiratory virus update. The Covid-induced mortality rate was 1.1%, similar to the previous week.
Wastewater detection of SARS-COV-2 dropped from moderate to low levels, with the highest levels in the South.
