Hospitalizations due to the flu are at the highest they’ve been in a decade, according to a telebriefing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday. With COVID-19 hospitalizations on the upswing as well, health authorities are concerned that hospitals may be overwhelmed in the weeks ahead.
Since the beginning of October, about 78,000 people have been hospitalized with the flu. The number of flu hospitalizations for the week ending November 27 (19,593) was almost double that of the week before. There have already been 8.7 million illnesses and 4,500 deaths from flu, including at least 14 children, per the CDC.
During the press briefing, Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, director of the CDC, also warned that COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have been climbing across the nation since the Thanksgiving holiday. As per the Department of Health and Human Services, nearly 79 percent of inpatient beds are currently in use.
“This rise in cases and hospitalizations is especially worrisome as we move into the winter months when more people are assembling indoors with less ventilation and as we approach the holiday season where many are gathering with loved ones across multiple generations,” said Dr. Walensky.
For the week ending November 29, the seven-day average for new COVID-19 admissions was 4,201 — a 17.6 percent jump from the week prior. The New York Times COVID Tracker showed that the daily average for infections across the United States totaled 51,995 at the beginning of this week — a 28 percent rise from two weeks ago.
Some signs of relief came with the latest trends regarding respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). CDC numbers indicate that the disease may be peaking in parts of the country, such as the South and Southeast, while leveling off in the Mid-Atlantic, New England, and Midwest. Still, RSV is out there and cases could rise as more family and friends gather together in the weeks ahead.
“Flu started early, and with COVID and RSV also circulating, it’s a perfect storm for a terrible holiday season,” said Sandra Fryhofer, MD, board chair of the American Medical Association, during the press briefing.
A Call to Take More Precautions During This ‘Tripledemic’
Drs. Fryhofer and Walensky are encouraging the public to take extra measures to protect themselves from virus spread.
In addition to regularly washing hands, health authorities strongly advise wearing masks when on planes, trains, buses, and other public transportation; when among those who are more vulnerable to serious illness (such as the immunocompromised, babies, and the elderly), or if living in areas with high COVID-19 transmission, as tracked by the CDC.
“Stay home when you’re sick,” added Fryhofer. “Share your love by not sharing your sickness.”
The health officials also underscored the effectiveness of vaccination, noting that the current flu shot is well matched to circulating strains and the new bivalent COVID-19 booster appears to provide better protection against the latest variants compared with the original COVID-19 vaccination.
Flu vaccination rates among high-risk seniors, children, and pregnant women, however, are lower compared with this time last year.
In related news, the updated COVID-19 booster may be available to younger children soon — Pfizer on Monday submitted an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use authorization for its bivalent vaccine for use in children ages 6 months through 4 years old.
“This holiday season, please get vaccinated,” said Fryhofer. “It’s the best way to protect yourself. It’s the best way to protect your loved ones. And it’s the best way to protect your community.”
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