Outbreak Outlook - July 8

Covid-19 still picking up, but at least ILI is low

Summer Plans: As summer approaches and data on respiratory diseases dwindles, I am moving to my off-season schedule:

• For paid subscribers, I’ll be combining weekly updates into a single report. Expect these updates to be less detailed until the fall.

• Free subscribers will continue to receive occasional essays and posts during the summer months, but I won’t be posting as often.

• In the fall, I will return to sending out a full-length, free national version of Outbreak Outlook. Paid subscribers will receive region-specific editions with more local data.

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ILI

The summertime respite continues, with influenza and influenza-like illness at minimal levels across the country.

Nationally, hospitalization rates are near-zero (0.1 hospitalizations per 100,000 population), and outpatient visits for ILI remain low at 1.4% of all visits to the doctor. Every state looks good, with no outliers or hot spots.

Even that 0-4 age group, which tends to continue to have higher levels of spread even during the summer, is reporting relatively low levels of outpatient visits for ILI (4.4%).

Outpatient ILI by age group, this flu season (Oct-present). Source.

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