Number of Flu Cases Lower Than Pre-pandemic Levels

March 21, 2022

The range of influenza instances is increasing throughout the United States but has not hit pre-pandemic amounts, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Safety states.

A single of the beneficial facet consequences of the COVID pandemic was a drop in flu scenarios, seemingly due to the fact folks have been isolating and social distancing. In the 2019-2020 time, far more 22,000 men and women in the U.S. died from flu. Deaths lessened to about 700 for the 2020-2021 year.

For the 2021-22 flu season so significantly, the CDC estimates there have been 1,700 flu deaths, 2.9 million flu circumstances, and 28,000 hospitalizations for the reason that of the flu.

“The cumulative hospitalization price … is larger than the price for the overall 2020-2021 season, but reduced than the level seen at this time for the duration of the 4 seasons preceding the COVID-19 pandemic,” the CDC explained in its weekly influenza surveillance report.

But the CDC observed that the range of clinic admissions has absent up every of the past six months. 3 pediatric deaths from flu have been claimed final week. For the 2021-22 flu period so considerably, there have been 13 pediatric deaths.

The share of outpatient health practitioner visits simply because of respiratory diseases went up past week, but are continue to beneath epidemic baselines, the CDC claimed, noting that influenza is not the only respiratory illness circulating.

Though the variety of flu cases differs by area, Oklahoma has reported high flu action as calculated by physician visits, and Arkansas and Idaho reported average exercise, the CDC said.

A preliminary research printed in December mentioned that flu vaccines for the 2021-22 flu year aren’t providing as significantly as a lot defense as hoped for in opposition to the most commonly circulating pressure of influenza. On the other hand, the review mentioned it appears the vaccines will even now reduce severe sickness in people who are contaminated.

The vaccines were being intended significantly in progress to battle the flu strains anticipated to dominate the United States throughout the 2021-22 flu time: H3N2, H1N1, and two strains of influenza B.

Flu season generally lasts from Oct to Might in the northern hemisphere and April to September in the southern hemisphere.