The flu is surging across the United States during the busy holiday and travel season, with New York among the hardest-hit states.
For the week ending December 20, New York had its highest number of flu infections ever recorded in a single week, 71,123, according to the New York State Department of Health.
“This is a rise of 38 percent over the previous week. There have been 189,312 positive flu cases reported in New York this season to date,” the state health department added.
Along with New York, New Jersey, Louisiana, Colorado and Rhode Island — have reported “very high” numbers of outpatient visits to medical providers complaining of flu-like symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Another 10 states have “high” numbers of flu-related checkups this year, including include Massachusetts, Connecticut, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, New Mexico, Idaho and Michigan.
The CDC has also concluded that infections are on the rise in 47 states. The only state where cases are declining is Hawaii.
“Seasonal influenza activity continues to increase across the country. The timing of this increasing activity is similar to several past seasons,” the CDC said in a bulletin on December 19.
Doctors and other health officials are also worried that the current flu vaccine won’t fully protect against the mutated H3N2 influenza A virus.
However, they’re convinced that getting a vaccine will still provide you with more protection than not.
“So, whether we’re simply seeing more cases because this clade K influenza virus is evading immunity, and therefore more people are susceptible to infection, or if it’s really causing more severe disease on a case-by-case basis is still something that is not completely clear,” said Andrew Pekosz, who is the co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center of Excellence in influenza research and response.
“But what is clear is that cases are increasing, and we’re seeing a lot of influenza. Cases are increasing across the country, and that’s a trend that we’re sure will continue into the new year,” he concluded.
