The US is experiencing a delayed winter surge of flu and COVID-19 cases, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This year’s trends are significantly lower than last year, with rates of weekly flu hospitalizations down five times.
Flu cases are only now starting to cross the CDC’s baseline threshold, which was already exceeded by this time last year. Experts believe that immunity in the population from previous seasons may be contributing to the delay.
Epidemiologist Justin Lessler notes that this year’s figures look “much closer to about where you’d expect a normal flu season to be” before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, modeling suggests that the country’s flu immunity looks different due to the pandemic, making it hard to predict exactly what this year’s season will look like.
COVID-19 emergency room visits are low or minimal in most states, and levels of the virus in wastewater are also minimal. Some experts speculate that the summer wave of COVID-19 may have built up enough immunity to prevent a winter wave.
However, other respiratory germs such as Mycoplasma pneumoniae and pertussis (whooping cough) remain elevated. The CDC reported 577 infections of pertussis nationwide for the week ending Nov. 23, which is higher than the peak of 2014’s record pertussis wave.
The CDC’s “acute respiratory illness” metric shows 14 states with moderate levels, including Ohio, where whooping cough cases are highest. The agency will continue to monitor trends and provide updates on flu season and COVID-19 activity in the coming weeks.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/flu-covid-infections-december-2024