US sees over 24 mln flu cases this season
Flu cases are surging across the United States, forcing some schools to cancel classes or pivot to remote learning.
There have been at least 24 million illnesses, 310,000 hospitalizations, and 13,000 deaths from flu so far this season in the United States, according to the latest estimates of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released on Friday.
Seasonal influenza activity remains elevated and continues to increase across the country, according to the CDC.
Ten influenza-associated pediatric deaths were reported during the latest week ending Feb. 1, bringing the season total to 57 pediatric deaths, according to the CDC.
More than 48,000 patients were admitted to hospitals with influenza this week.
One human infection with an influenza A (H1N2) variant virus was reported this week, which is the first human infection with a variant influenza virus reported during the 2024-2025 season in the United States, according to the CDC.
At least 45 states and jurisdictions are reporting "high or very high" levels of the flu. Emergency room visits with influenza are now "very high" nationwide, CDC data show.
Levels of influenza nationwide are now at the highest they have been since the peak of the 2009 swine flu pandemic, amid this winter's second wave of the virus, CBS reported, citing CDC figures.
Some schools around the country are cancelling classes or pivoting to online learning due to soaring respiratory illnesses.
Influenza viruses are among several viruses contributing to respiratory disease activity.
At the same time, the United States is seeing waves of norovirus, Covid-19 and RSV, known as "quad-demic."
Xinhua
