Four other updates:
1. FluSurv-NET sites have reported a cumulative hospitalization rate of 0.7 per 100,000 Americans between Oct. 1, 2020, and March 20, 2021.
2. The percentage of visits to an outpatient provider for flu-like illness was 0.9 percent for the week ending March 13, the same as the week prior. This figure remains below the national baseline of 2.6 percent.
3. No new pediatric flu deaths were reported for the week ending March 20. In total, one pediatric flu death has been recorded for the 2020-21 flu season.
4. The national flu and pneumonia mortality rate is 12.1 percent, which sits above the epidemic threshold of 7.1 percent. The majority of these deaths are attributed to COVID-19.
More articles on public health:
The race between variants & vaccines: Where things stand today
Epidemiologist Dr. Michael Osterholm on what the UK variant means for the pandemic’s 3rd act
Physician viewpoint: Herd immunity may be closer than you think
