CNN
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Seasonal influenza activity remains high in the United States, but continues to slow in most parts of the country, according to data released Friday by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Influenza hospital admissions fell for the second consecutive week last week. There were about 21,000 new hospitalizations for the week ending December 17. That’s down from a season high of more than 26,000 new admissions two weeks earlier, the week after Thanksgiving.
Despite these improvements, it is not certain that the virus has reached its peak. Respiratory virus activity remains “high” or “very high” in nearly every state, and experts warn things could pick up again as holiday travel and gatherings continue.
The CDC estimates there have been at least 18 million illnesses, 190,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 deaths from the flu so far this season.
The cumulative hospitalization rate is more than six times what it has been at this point in the season for more than a decade.
And the flu is far from the only virus circulating; a stew of other respiratory viruses has been spreading for weeks, leading to an unusually high number of hospitalizations.
As of Friday, hospital capacity remains near record highs with around 77% of beds in use nationwide.
RSV has peaked in the United States as test positivity rates and new hospitalization rates have slowed over the past month, and weekly hospitalizations for RSV have dropped dramatically over the past month . But hospitalizations are still slightly higher than normal.
Covid-19 levels remain well below previous surges, but trends are definitely on the rise in the United States: new hospital admissions have jumped nearly 50% in the past month.
Dr. Sean O’Leary, chair of the infectious diseases committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics and professor of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Colorado Children’s Hospital, told CNN that it was hard to predict what would happen since RSV and flu season both started early – and they may have already peaked.
Holidays can still lead to an increase in illnesses.
“The holidays sometimes bring a small, sometimes a modest spike in infections, with people congregating indoors,” O’Leary said.
US health officials have urged people to get flu and Covid-19 vaccines, wear masks in high-risk situations and focus on hand washing.
White House Covid-19 response coordinator Dr Ashish Jha urged people to stick to one rule of thumb, in particular: “If you feel sick, you should stay home.”
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