Doctor holding pen card that states “flu season ahead” – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Inna Kot
The spread of COVID-19 is decreasing, but the flu season is still in its early stages. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed new data on Friday that indicates an increase in influenza activity in numerous U.S. states, including Florida.
Six “jurisdictions” (states or territories) reported moderate to high flu activity last week, compared to only two the week before.
With the high level of flu activity in Alaska, the situation is particularly dire. The CDC reports that flu activity is moderate in Washington, D.C., Florida, Hawaii, New Mexico, and Puerto Rico.
Even while “low” or “minimal” flu activity is present in most states, things are predicted to worsen before they get better. Although the exact start of the flu season varies from year to year, conditions usually get worse in October. Although it can occur at any moment during the winter, February is usually when the climax is achieved.
While reports of symptoms increased last week in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Louisiana, Wyoming, and South Carolina, flu levels are still regarded as low in these states.
It’s also crucial to remember that not every instance of flu activity in a community is depicted on the CDC map. The information is derived from the number of patients who present to a medical facility with fever and cough or sore throat, which are signs of the flu. It isn’t predicated on influenza cases with lab confirmation.
This means that while cases that turn out to be other respiratory infections may be included, situations where people are staying at home and treating their own ailment may be excluded.
The respiratory virus season of this year will resemble that of the previous year, according to CDC specialists. In particular, they anticipate that the season will fall within the “typical range of severity.”
“However, even typical seasons vary widely in the number of illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths,” reads the 2023-24 forecast.
Flu injections can be obtained concurrently with a COVID-19 booster and are now offered in pharmacies and doctor’s offices.
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Melissa’s career in writing started more than 20 years ago. Today, she lives in South Florida with her husband and two boys.
