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Cdc Highest Number Of Flu Cases In 15 Years. Here’s How To Protect Yourself
For the first time, the death rate for the flu is higher than the mortality rate for COVID-19. Daniel de la Hoz/Getty Images
- The CDC reports the highest level of flu cases since the swine flu pandemic of 2009.
- For the first time, the death rate for flu cases is higher than the mortality rate for COVID-19.
- Everyone can do their part to stop the spread of flu by getting vaccinated and staying home if you’re sick.
The number of flu cases in the United States is currently at its highest level in 15 years.
In addition, more people are dying from influenza than from COVID-19 for the first time since the pandemic began in 2020.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that “seasonal influenza activity remains elevated and continues to increase across the country.”
CDC officials say flu levels remain “very high” or “high” in the majority of states.
More than 48,000 people in the U.S. were admitted to hospitals with influenza during the week that ended on February 1. That’s the highest level since the H1N1 swine flu pandemic in 2009.
The CDC reports that nearly 8% of visits to a healthcare professional that week were for respiratory illnesses, a trend that continues upward.
Lab data collected by the CDC shows that 31% of tests collected in a week were positive for influenza, significantly higher than the 18% recorded during the peak flu season last year.
In addition, the CDC states that 2% of deaths nationwide were attributed to influenza. That’s higher than the 1.5% attributed to COVID-19.
Overall, the CDC estimates there have been 24 million illnesses, 310,000 hospitalizations, and 13,000 deaths from the flu this season this year.
How bad is this year’s flu season?
Experts say this flu season has been rough, although not necessarily record breaking.
“We are in the midst of a severe influenza season right now,” William Schaffner, MD, an infectious disease expert and a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, told Healthline. “Across the country, doctors’ offices, emergency departments and hospitals are chock full of patients with fever who are coughing and feeling miserable.”
“Flu seasons vary in severity from year to year. Sometimes more severe seasons are triggered by the appearance of a new influenza strain. That is not apparent this year. Exactly why this season is so severe is not known,” Schaffner said.
Yvonne Maldonado, MD, a professor of global health and infectious diseases at Stanford University, agreed this year’s flu season has been a bit of a mystery.
“It’s hard to predict what each season’s flu pattern will look like,” she told Healthline. “We don’t have a way of predicting except to track what happens in the southern hemisphere in their flu season, which generally runs from April through September. In 2024, however, the southern hemisphere did not exhibit the same pattern that we are seeing in the U.S.”
Timothy Brewer, MD, a professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles and of epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, said that during the 2009–2010 swine flu epidemic, there were an estimated 60 million flu cases in the U.S.
There were also more than 274,000 hospitalizations and nearly 12,500 associated deaths. “This year has been a bad flu year, but it’s not out of bounds,” Brewer told Healthline.
Brewer added that almost all of the flu cases this season are influenza A with variants H1N1 and H3N2, strains that have been circulating for years. He said the H3N2 variant tends to have a higher mortality rate, which may explain the relatively high number of deaths this season.
Inderpal Randhawa, MD, an internist, immunologist, pediatrician, pediatric pulmonologist, and medical director of the Children’s Pulmonary Institute at MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach in California, said there may be other factors for the higher mortality rate this season.
Randhawa told Healthline that his practice is seeing a high number of flu patients who also have another virus, such as:
“In these patients, the immune system is being overwhelmed by the back-to-back viruses,” Randhawa said.
Randhawa added that another factor is this season’s flu strain seems to bring on strong symptoms quickly, causing some patients to be diagnosed and treated when the virus is already well entrenched. “If this hits you like a ton of bricks, don’t delay. Assume it’s the flu,” he advised.
Lower vaccination rates and flu risk
CDC officials report around 45% of U.S. adults have been vaccinated against the flu this season, about the same percentage as a year ago.
They add that about 45% of children ages 6 months to 17 years have received an influenza vaccine, down from 50% a year ago and nearly 60% at this time in 2020.
The CDC recommends that nearly everyone 6 months and older get a flu vaccine every season.
Experts note that lower vaccination rates may continue to cause problems in the future.
“I think vaccination rates declining will lead to not only more flu outbreaks but unfortunately a greater mortality rate from influenza in future years,” Monica Gandhi, MD, a professor of medicine and associate chief of the Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine at the University of California San Francisco, told Healthline.
“The national influenza vaccination recommendations could not be simpler. Everyone ages 6 months and older should receive influenza vaccine each fall,” Schaffner added. “Unvaccinated persons run the risk of getting more severe disease, leading to more hospitalizations and deaths.”
Brewer said the declining vaccination rate among children is particularly worrisome. He says vaccinations not only protect children but they also lower the risk of children spreading the disease to older adults and other vulnerable populations.
Randhawa is also concerned. “I tell younger patients that if they don’t do it for themselves to do it for their parents and grandparents,” he said. “The lower vaccination rates don’t bode well for this year and they don’t bode well going further,” Brewer added.
Flu prevention tips
Influenza is often considered a winter ailment. However, the official flu season runs from October to May.
Experts say flu seasons tends to peak in January and February for a number of reasons.
“This is the exact season in which respiratory viruses usually surge and coincide with cold, dry weather (conditions favorable for viruses), people being indoors and around each other without ventilation and with forced heating,” Gandhi said.
The flu is a highly contagious disease that you can spread to another person even before you exhibit symptoms. You can also still be contagious five to seven days after your illness.
Symptoms of the flu include:
- sudden or excessive fatigue
- body aches and chills
- persistent dry cough
- sore throat
- fever of 100 degrees or more
- diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting
Experts say there are several things that people can do to lower the spread of influenza. Among them:
- get a flu vaccination every year
- avoid people who are sick or who exhibit symptoms of the flu
- stay home if you are sick
- wear a mask while indoors with other people
- use ventilation when possible at indoor events
- wash your hands frequently
Experts note that flu vaccinations don’t prevent someone from contracting the virus but can help reduce the risk of serious illness.
If you do get the flu, there are medications you can take to reduce symptoms and shorten the illness’ duration.
Self-care treatments for the flu include:
- drink lots of water
- drink herbal tea or tea with honey
- eat healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables
- sleep as much as possible
- add moisture to the air with a vaporizer or humidifier
Takeaway
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that flu cases in the U.S. this season are at their highest since the 2009-2010 swine flu.
For the first time, the death rate for the flu is higher than the mortality rate for COVID-19.
Experts say there are several reasons for the strong flu season, including lower vaccination rates, especially in children. Another is the strength of the H1N1 and H3N2 variants that are circulating.
Experts say you can lower your risk of getting the flu by wearing a mask when indoors, washing your hands thoroughly, and avoiding people who have the flu or are exhibiting symptoms of the illness.
