US flu activity climbs, with more deaths in kids

Flu is a killer - "very high" in Rhode Island, jamming hospitals

Lisa Schnirring

The nation's flu activity continued a steady rise last week, with 44 states at the high or very high level and that national test positivity just shy of 30%, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its weekly update.

Outpatient visits for flulike illness have been above the national baseline for 9 weeks in a row. Of samples that tested positive for flu at public health labs, nearly all were influenza A, and subtyped influenza A samples were about evenly split between the H3N2 and 2009 H1N1 strains.

On the CDC's flu activity map, most of the country is awash in shades of red that reflect high or very high activity. However, some states are shaded purple, the highest level on the activity scale. They include Southeastern states such as Louisiana, South Carolina, and Tennessee, but also several in the Northeast, including Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and New Hampshire.

16 more pediatric flu deaths

The CDC reported 16 more pediatric flu deaths, which push the season's total to 47. The deaths occurred between the middle of December and the week ending January 25. All involved influenza A, and, of 13 subtyped samples, 7 were H1N1 and 6 were H3N2. 

For deaths overall, the level remained steady, with flu making up 1.6% of all deaths last week.

Emergency department (ED) visits for flu are at the very high level and are increasing in all age-groups, making up 7% of all ED visits, the CDC said in its weekly respiratory virus snapshot. Meanwhile, hospitalizations for flu remain elevated and are likewise on the rise for all age-groups.

COVID holds steady; RSV ebbs

Though COVID-19 wastewater detections moved from the medium back into the high category last week, ED visits are still low, highest in young children and elevated in older people. Meanwhile, hospitalizations for the virus remain elevated and are highest in seniors. Deaths from COVID trended downward but still make up 1.6% of all deaths in the United States.

Wastewater levels were up a bit in all regions and are still highest in the Midwest. The CDC said activity is likely growing or growing in the Southeast and West, along with parts of the northeast.

Test positivity for COVID held steady, at 5.4% 

For respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which has been a notable contributor to respiratory virus activity this season, showed downward trends, with ED visits—highest in children-- and wastewater detections at the moderate level. Hospitalizations are also highest for children, though levels are elevated among older people in some parts of the country.