Six updates:
1. The percentage of visits to an outpatient provider for flu-like illness was 1.6 percent for the week ending Dec. 26, slightly higher than the week prior. This figure remains below the national baseline of 2.6 percent.
2. No new pediatric flu deaths were reported for the week ending Dec. 19. In total, one pediatric flu death has been recorded for the 2020-21 flu season.
3. The national flu and pneumonia mortality rate is 13.6 percent, which sits above the epidemic threshold of 6.8 percent. The majority of these deaths are attributed to COVID-19.
4. No states reported very high or high flu activity for the week ending Dec. 26. Mississippi reported moderate flu activity, while South Carolina and Nevada reported low activity. Forty-six states reported minimal flu activity. Michigan and Washington, D.C., were both excluded because of insufficient data.
5. The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for the flu at clinical laboratories was 0.3 percent for the week ending Dec. 26.
6. Flu activity reporting has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and should be interpreted with caution, according to the CDC.
More articles on public health:
UK virus strain in 3 states; South Africa variant deemed ‘even more of a problem’: 5 things to know
COVID-19 has killed 350,000 Americans; South African variant alarms officials — 5 updates
19 states where COVID-19 is spreading fastest, slowest: Jan. 4
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