A historic flu season
Flu activity continues to intensify
Flu continues to hit hard across the country. New data released today show outpatient visits for influenza-like illness (visits to the doctor for fever plus either cough or sore throat) have climbed to 7.8%, up from last week's already high 7.7%.
In fact, in today’s report, the CDC said that for the first time since the 2017-2018 season, we're experiencing "high severity" across all age groups, including children, adults, and older adults.
The impact is particularly intense in two regions. Across the South and Northeast, several states are reporting that more than 1 in 10 outpatient visits are for flu symptoms. South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio, New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts are all clearing 10% outpatient ILI.
Unfortunately, we are seeing a sharp rise in severe illness as well. Trends have eased a bit in the most recent report, but ED visits for flu1 among children under 17 remain well above last season’s highs. In fact, 1 in 6 emergency department visits in the 0-17 age groups are for influenza.
Inpatient hospitalizations have reached the highest levels since 2010-2011. Note that while children are more likely to visit doctors' offices and emergency departments with flu symptoms, it's older adults who face the greatest risk of requiring hospital admission.
I will have more for you on Monday, but I thought this unusually severe season merited another extra note.
This metric is the percentage of emergency department visits that receive a discharge diagnosis of influenza.
I was on call Wednesday night. In a 16 hour shift we intubated 7 people, two with Flu A, one was a 49 yo woman with (likely post-viral) bacterial pneumonia. We (mid-Atlantic) are almost out of vents. My whole call team was reeling at how all of this is happening in silence. I’ll mask at the grocery store or basketball games with my kids and people ask me why. I’ll just say, “I don’t want to get the flu.” I think it had become so politicized that people forget it’s just something they can do for THEMSELVES (and the community).
As I read this, I can't help but think that the timing of this flu surge is frightening for several reasons, not the least of which is the more people infected with human flu strains, the more opportunity H5N1 has to mix and gain mutations that enhance its human infection capabilities. The question is whether we are going to know if or when that is happening. I'm counting on you, Caitlin!