by Winter viruses are raging right now, with the flu at extremely high levels leading the way in the West, the Midwest and deep into the Southeast, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Monday.
Flu-related hospitalizations and deaths are on the rise, and experts predict many more will follow.
“I am confident that flu activity will remain elevated for several more weeks,” said Alicia Budd, head of the CDC’s domestic flu surveillance team.
The latest report details what happened in the week ending January 4 – just after the holidays – and suggests there was a slight drop in flu activity. That’s likely an anomaly, Budd said, because people are less likely to go to the doctor during the holidays and during the holidays.
Flu A strains are currently dominant, especially H3N2 and H1N1. Although adults age 65 and older are most likely to be hospitalized with flu, the circulating viruses affect all age groups.
Seasonal flu tends to peak from December to February. People who become infected tend to develop sore throat, cough, runny nose, headache, body aches and sometimes fever. Many people describe flu symptoms as feeling like they’ve been hit by a truck.
Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and author of “Crisis Averted: The Hidden Science of Fighting Outbreaks,” suggested it could take another three months for the flu to start to calm down.
It is possible that B variants of the flu could peak later in the season. That’s why Budd and other infectious disease experts say there’s still time to get a flu shot. Many people remain eligible, especially children.
As of December 28, just under 42% of children had had their flu shot this season. This time last year, almost 45% had received it.
So far this season, 16 children have died from the flu. The CDC does not track flu deaths in adults, but estimates that a total of at least 4,700 people have died this season, with more than 110,000 hospitalizations.
“If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, there’s still time,” Budd said. “It would be worth it.”
The CDC recommends the annual flu shot for everyone 6 months and older.
The flu vaccine is updated every year to meet the latest flu strain in circulation, and generally reduces the risk of illness by about 40% and hospitalization by 60%.
Flu usually spreads through droplets through sneezing, coughing and even talking. It can be transmitted within a week of the onset of symptoms. However, it is most contagious during the first three days of the illness.
Avoiding contact with infected people and washing hands regularly can help reduce the risk of infection. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can also be helpful, but handwashing is preferable, doctors say.
If you do become infected with the virus, antiviral medications such as Tamiflu can help treat symptoms and speed recovery. These medications are especially recommended for people at risk of serious complications, such as those with lung disease, heart disease, or diabetes.
Antivirals work best if they are started within one to two days of the onset of symptoms.
As with all viral diseases, antibiotics are not effective against the flu because they target bacteria and not viruses.
