"In the U.S., the CDC estimates 7.5 million flu cases so far this season, with 81,000 hospitalizations and more than 3,000 deaths. So far this season eight children have died from flu-related causes according to the CDC, with five of those deaths reported this week. According to CDC data for the week ending on December 20, 32 states reported high or very high levels of illness with flu symptoms, up from 17 states reporting that level of flu activity the week prior."
"Part of what is making this season shape up to be a brutal one for the flu is the emergence of a new variant of the virus, known as "subclade K" (a subclade refers to a subgroup of a strain of a virus). Subclade K is a newer subtype of influenza A/H3N2 that emerged over the summer, complicating the protection from the flu vaccine, which was formulated using different reference strain"
The CDC estimates 7.5 million flu cases this season, with 81,000 hospitalizations and over 3,000 deaths. Eight children have died from flu-related causes this season, five reported in the most recent week. For the week ending December 20, 32 states reported high or very high levels of flu-like illness, up from 17 the prior week; New York, New Jersey, South Carolina, Louisiana and Colorado show the highest activity. New York reported over 3,600 people hospitalized during the weekend of December 20, exceeding last year’s peak. A new influenza A/H3N2 variant called subclade K emerged over the summer and has reduced vaccine protection; vaccination remains beneficial, especially for children and older adults. In New York, 40% of hospitalized patients are older than 75 and infants are the second-largest hospitalized group.
Read at Fast Company
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