Number of Flu Cases Lower Than Pre-pandemic Levels

March 21, 2022

The number of influenza cases is escalating throughout the United States but has not strike pre-pandemic stages, the U.S. Centers for Sickness Handle and Security states.

A single of the beneficial facet consequences of the COVID pandemic was a fall in flu situations, apparently since persons were isolating and social distancing. In the 2019-2020 period, much more 22,000 people today in the U.S. died from flu. Fatalities lessened to about 700 for the 2020-2021 year.

For the 2021-22 flu period so much, the CDC estimates there have been 1,700 flu fatalities, 2.9 million flu conditions, and 28,000 hospitalizations because of the flu.

“The cumulative hospitalization price … is higher than the rate for the entire 2020-2021 year, but reduce than the fee found at this time during the 4 seasons preceding the COVID-19 pandemic,” the CDC claimed in its weekly influenza surveillance report.

But the CDC noted that the number of hospital admissions has long gone up each of the past 6 weeks. A few pediatric deaths from flu were being claimed past 7 days. For the 2021-22 flu period so much, there have been 13 pediatric deaths.

The share of outpatient health practitioner visits simply because of respiratory ailments went up final 7 days, but are still under epidemic baselines, the CDC explained, noting that influenza is not the only respiratory health issues circulating.

While the quantity of flu conditions may differ by area, Oklahoma has described large flu action as calculated by health practitioner visits, and Arkansas and Idaho described moderate exercise, the CDC said.

A preliminary review printed in December said that flu vaccines for the 2021-22 flu year aren’t furnishing as substantially as substantially protection as hoped for against the most extensively circulating strain of influenza. Nonetheless, the research reported it seems the vaccines will however avoid serious health issues in people today who are infected.

The vaccines were being made considerably in advance to battle the flu strains expected to dominate the United States throughout the 2021-22 flu season: H3N2, H1N1, and two strains of influenza B.

Flu year ordinarily lasts from October to May well in the northern hemisphere and April to September in the southern hemisphere.