The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that flu emergency room visits have reached “very high” levels nationwide, with the current season’s wave of flu cases arriving later than in previous years.
Compared to pre-pandemic seasons, this year’s flu trend is similar to the 2019-2020 season, which saw peak levels around the New Year. Western states are experiencing some of the highest levels of influenza, surpassing peaks from last winter’s flu season.
In Oregon, emergency room visits involving flu have increased significantly, with 8.4% of visits attributed to flu at the end of December – more than three times higher than the peak reached last season. The number of cases treated for flu in November and December 2024 was 1,101, compared to 251 cases during the same period in 2023.
Experts do not expect a “tripledemic” this year, as COVID-19 levels are only now accelerating nationwide, weeks later than usual. CDC modeling suggests that this winter’s COVID-19 wave will be smaller than some previous surges, with most infections attributed to the XEC variant of the virus.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/influenza-flu-season-emergency-room-visits-very-high