The US is in the middle of the first “High severity“Sourg to Flufe in a way.
Since October, there are at least 37 million infections, 480,000 hospitals and 21,000 dead, the Centers for preventing illness and avoidance said Friday. Last week, 98 children die due to flu, CDC reported. In some states, the flu surges are so bad that Schools and entire district should close.
The US also detects the highest rate of doctors who visited flu-like diseases – which includes influenza, coffive and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) – in 15 years.
while activity of the flu slowed in recent weeks, experts warned that there was no time.
“There may be months of sickness and pain before us,” Dr. Susan Waylan, a contagious disease and medical director of health care in New York’s Stone Brook Medicine.
Although experts do not know what is why the flu is so bad this year, they say so many reasons to blame.
The surrounding straps are worse
Two types of flu is a virus – H1N1 and H3N2 – ruling during the flu season, according to CDC. Some experts, including Walelan, say these strains are likely to spread more quickly and cause more severe pain, which can mean energy at this time at the moment.
H3N2, specifically, is known to waste more often than other influenza strains, “as an epidemiologist Azomica despite the Genese construction at the University of Central Florida.”
By default, those mutations can also make flu vaccines – that Formed months prior to the beginning of time they intended for – less effectiveRobert Bednarczyk, an Epidemiologist and Associate Professor of Global Health at the Atlanta Emory University.
However, Data released Thursday CDC suggests that the weather effectiveness during the period is in par over the past few years.
The first estimates from this period were found that children and adolescents were vaccinated and the flu was obtained 63% -78% not very hospitalized; Vaccilated adults have 41% -55% less hospitalized due to flu, according to CDC report.
The vaccine is “Overall a very good match” this year because it protect against all three straps That’s around, Dr. Cases Gendlina, a contagious disease doctor with Montefiore Health System in New York.
Flu vaccination rates continue to drop
The flu vaccines have lowered the consequences of severe diseases, hospitalization and death – yet immunization rates have been dropped since Covid Salmemic, According to CDC. This alarming trend, experts say, help explain why the weather is severe.
While adult vaccination rates are equal compared to this time last year – about 45% – CDC data The shows, the difference between the children “is the most impressive,” says Azarian.
Like February 15, about 46% of children received a shot flu; About 51% were vaccinated this time last year. Overall, scope of flu vaccination dropped 8 percentage points From about 63% to 55% from pre-pandemic 2019-2020 period of 2023-2024 times.
“That is an important drop,” says Azarian.
Maybe lost some flu resistance for years
The steps we make to avoid covid infection, such as wearing masks, may weaken our flu receipt – another potential reason for influencing us this year, Gendlina said.
“We masked somewhat in the last five years, preventing influenza spreading. So we didn’t seem like a lot of immunological memory that came from the year until we had ever before,” he said. “Left the memory we are less favored in terms of how it is to encourage influenza season.”
Now fewer people wear masks, virus respiratory like flu is free to spread, Gendlina said.
It’s never too late to get a flu shot
Although flu activity decreases, experts say nothing to say when this flu will end or if there is another draining of cases. That means there’s a lot of time to get a shot shot if you haven’t yet, Witlan said.
Indeed, national wastewater samples showed a “steady increase” of influenza b concentration, according to Amanda Bidwell, the manager of the scientific program at waste. It’s too early to say when a peak hit this strain, he added.
Gendlina says the threat of a new wave is the reason to be vaccinated without you.
Even if you’re already in this year’s flu, it’s better to get back when you didn’t get the shot, says W .lolan. Because there are three flu viruses that have spread today, you can still be sick of any of the two.
You say people should talk to their doctors about their personal risks in a serious infection. In some cases, he said, people can get a prescription for antiviral medicine tamiflu ahead of time to get them virus. (Tamiflu should be taken within two days of disease.)
In the meantime, stay home if ill, have your hands go, and wear a mask if you want to protect yourself and people when people or poorly protect yourself and people or bad spaces in the room, Azarian.
