Flu Activity Remains Above Epidemic Threshold
Flu activity has dropped off since its peak around Thanksgiving, but it is still hovering just above the epidemic threshold. Rhinoviruses and human coronaviruses are causing more influenza-like illness than flu is. The burden of illness from this flu season is on the mildish side.
Helen Branswell 🇺🇦
I cover infectious diseases @statnews. 2020 Polk winner. Nieman '11. She/her. Checkmarked pre-Elon. #Covid #polio #flu https://t.co/httca8ZASg
-
1. #Flu activity has dropped off dramatically since its peak around Thanksgiving, but this odd early season still can't seem to bring itself to an end. For the 6th week in a row it is hovering just above the epidemic threshold.
— Helen Branswell 🇺🇦 (@HelenBranswell) March 3, 2023
A 🧵 pic.twitter.com/EbYkOJRbsB -
2. That said, rhinoviruses & human coronaviruses are causing more #influenza-like illness right now than #flu is, according to the Biofire syndromic trends. https://t.co/gTqj4s9JMe pic.twitter.com/Sg0n4e6xVB
— Helen Branswell 🇺🇦 (@HelenBranswell) March 3, 2023 -
3. @CDCgov has been informed of 2 more pediatric #flu deaths; both kids died in early December. So far this season there have been 117 confirmed flu deaths in children. This graph (mine, with data from CDC) gives you a picture of how this year compares to others re: kids. pic.twitter.com/dt4gqO1GjK
— Helen Branswell 🇺🇦 (@HelenBranswell) March 3, 2023 -
4. The burden of illness from this #flu season is on the mildish side. @CDCgov estimates 26M illnesses, 290K hospitalizations & 18K deaths. In terms of severe illness & deaths, many years have been worse.
— Helen Branswell 🇺🇦 (@HelenBranswell) March 3, 2023
A lot of flu doesn't necessarily = severe season.https://t.co/hCE2Xm2Ace pic.twitter.com/DBrJuWGdst -
5. Very few places in the country are still reporting #flu activity, as you can see on the map on the left. On the right is the same week in the 2017-18 flu season, which was a very bad year. Flu season has wound down very early in 2022-23. pic.twitter.com/88VeqkUrJK
— Helen Branswell 🇺🇦 (@HelenBranswell) March 3, 2023 -
6. One last thing: Still no sign of a surge in #influenza B cases. Doesn't mean there won't be some later; we'll know when we know. There's been remarkably little #flu B this year. It's made up about 1% of all cases where viruses were subtyped. https://t.co/l8VtlHPA5w
— Helen Branswell 🇺🇦 (@HelenBranswell) March 3, 2023