Flu exercise is at excessive or very excessive ranges in 30 states because the nation approaches the Thanksgiving vacation, with H3N2 nonetheless dominant however with a rising proportion of 2009 H1N1 viruses, the US Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) stated as we speak in its weekly update.

The early flu surge is including to strain on well being techniques in mild of impacts from different respiratory viruses, particularly respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in youngsters.

Flu expands from southern sizzling spots

Earlier within the season, the primary flu sizzling spots have been within the southeastern states, however now a lot of the nation is shaded in crimson and purple, which signifies excessive and really excessive ranges. Flu ranges are nonetheless low in some northern-tier states, resembling Minnesota, Michigan, and Maine.

However even in Minnesota, flu outbreaks at school doubled over the previous week, based on the newest surveillance report from the Minnesota Division of Well being.

The proportion of respiratory specimens that examined optimistic for flu rose from 12.8% to 14.7% final week at medical labs, and the share of outpatient visits for flulike sickness, which may embrace different respiratory viruses with related signs, rose from 5.5% to five.8%.

Although most viruses are nonetheless the H3N2 pressure, the CDC stated the proportion of H1N1 detections has risen over the previous 3 weeks and now makes up about 26% of subtyped influenza A viruses.

Hospitalization charges for flu are nonetheless on the highest degree for this level within the season because the 2010-2011 season and are highest in seniors, adopted by youngsters as much as 4 years previous.

Two extra pediatric flu deaths have been reported, bringing the season’s complete to seven. The 2 newest deaths each occurred in the course of the first week of November. One concerned H3N2, and the opposite was as a result of H1N1.

Requires federal motion to battle RSV surge

Earlier this week, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Youngsters’s Hospital Affiliation sent a letter to federal well being officers asking them to declare a public well being emergency for a surge of youngsters searching for take care of respiratory viruses and psychological well being issues.

Within the letter, Mark Wietecha, MS, MBA, the CHA’s chief government officer, stated, “Our system is stretched to its restrict and with out instant consideration the disaster will solely worsen.” The teams stated flexibilities afforded underneath the COVID-19 emergency have been essential throughout pandemic surges and fluctuations and that youngsters and youngsters’s suppliers want the identical assist to maintain up with the surge of sicknesses and strain on the well being techniques.

Yesterday, the Biden administration responded, stopping in need of declaring a well being emergency however emphasizing that it is able to assist communities that need assistance, based on NBC News.

An NBC evaluation of federal hospital information reveals that as of Nov 16, 78% of pediatric beds nationwide are full, with seven states reporting that beds are greater than 90% full.

COVID instances ebb as BQ.1 nudges forward of BA.5

In its weekly evaluate of COVID information as we speak, the CDC stated the 7-day common for brand spanking new every day COVID-19 instances as of Nov 16 is 40,102, down 3.2% from the week earlier than. The every day common for hospitalizations additionally declined, down 4.4% in comparison with the previous week. Nevertheless, the CDC stated it’s seeing some shifts in hospitalization patterns. In October, the hospitalization price for infants as previous as 6 months previous started rising and is now the very best of all pediatric age-groups.

The every day common for deaths can also be declining, down 5.3% in comparison with the earlier week.

In Illinois, COVID-19 exercise is elevated in 21 counties, and the director of the Illinois Division of Public Well being (IDPH) urged state residents to take precautions to guard themselves and their family members as they have fun the Thanksgiving vacation.

Sameer Vohra, MD, JD, in a statement stated with a number of respiratory viruses circulating, residents ought to use all instruments out there to remain protected and wholesome. “These methods embrace COVID-19 testing, particularly if visiting somebody in danger for extreme illness, enhanced air flow, good hand hygiene, staying residence if sick, and getting updated with each the COVID-19 bivalent booster and the flu shot,” he stated.

Thus far, 35.4 million individuals have obtained the up to date bivalent COVID-19 booster, the CDC stated, including that solely 48.7% of People have obtained any booster doses.

In its updated variant projections as we speak, the CDC stated BQ.1 is now estimated to make up 25.5% of sequenced samples, placing it forward of its BA.5 predecessor. Additionally, BQ.1.1 makes up 24.2% of viruses. The CDC stated different variants make up 3.1% of samples, a lot of it XBB, a recombinant Omicron virus that has fueled new surges in components of Asia.

In different COVID developments:

• In its weekly COVID-19 update as we speak, the European Centre for Illness Prevention and Management (ECDC) stated markers within the area proceed to say no, even in seniors. The group predicts that COVID ranges will stay steady over the following 2 weeks.
• Pfizer and BioNTech as we speak said their up to date BA.4/BA.5 COVID booster reveals sturdy antibody response in opposition to newer Omicron sublineages, together with BQ.1, when in comparison with the unique vaccine.