Flu visits reach highest levels since 2009 pandemic: 7 virus updates

Outpatient visits have surged to their highest levels since the peak of the 2009 swine flu pandemic, with influenza-related emergency department visits remaining very high across the U.S. 

Advertisement

Notably, flu-related outpatient vists are now at their highest point since 2009, with 7.8% of visits for inflenza in the week ending Feb. 1. 

Nineteen states reported high respiratory virus activity: South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Michigan, Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, North Carolina, Virginia, New York, Vermont and Massachusetts. 

Thirteen states reported very high activity: Texas, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Kentucky, South Carolina, Florida, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Washington, D.C. 

Here are six more updates: 

  1. This year, approximately 31.6% of flu tests have come back positive, nearly double the 18.2% recorded during last season’s peak and close to the numbers seen in late 2009 during the pandemic, CBS News reported Feb. 7. 
  2. The CDC reported that flu test positivity has risen to 31.6%, while COVID-19 positivity decreased to 4.9% and RSV positivity decreased to 6.6%. 
  3. Wastewater surveillance showed very high levels of Influenza A activity, high levels of COVID-19 and moderate levels of RSV. 
  4. Emergency department visits for influenza remained very high, while visits for COVID-19 were low and RSV-related visits were moderate. 
  5. The CDC predicted influenza-related emergency department visits will stay high and potentially increase in most states, while COVID-19 and RSV activity were expected to decline slightly. 
  6. Vaccination coverage for both COVID-19 and influenza remained low, and RSV vaccine uptake is also notably low for both children and adults. 
Advertisement

Next Up in Public Health

Advertisement