The flu season in the United States has begun and, especially on the east coast and in the south of the country, is hitting more intensely than in previous years, even before the start of the pandemic.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, flu-like syndromes this season have already put 1.6 million Americans to bed, caused 13,000 hospitalizations and 730 deaths, two of them among children.
In the past week, about one medical visit (4.3%) out of 20 in the US was linked to flu-like syndromes while the rate of hospitalizations for influenza is equal to 2.9 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants, the highest observed in this one. same week from 2010-2011.
At the moment, “various respiratory viruses are circulating and the contribution of influenza viruses varies by location”, the CDC specified. However, the contribution of influenza viruses is growing throughout the country: overall last week 9% of the samples analyzed were positive for influenza; the previous week they were 5.6%. As in the last two years, almost all (98.5%) of the influenza viruses identified are type A, especially H3N2 (79.1%).
This week we report an infection caused by a variant of influenza virus A / H3N2 of swine origin that occurred in a minor. The boy is recovering and transmission of the virus to his contacts has not been observed. Since the beginning of the year, 10 cases of infections due to this type of virus have been reported.
So the health authorities specify that “the vaccine is the best way to protect yourself from the flu. Vaccination helps prevent infection and can also prevent the most serious complications in people who get the flu even if they are vaccinated”.