New federal data updated Friday shows half of all states have high levels of respiratory virus activity.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 25 states plus New York City and Washington, D.C., are currently at “high” or “very high” levels of respiratory disease activity. .
This is higher than the 23 states that recorded “high” or “very high” activity levels last week, but the peak of the 38 states that reported “high” or “very high” levels in the week ending December 30. Less than.
Respiratory disease activity is defined as people who seek medical attention with symptoms such as fever, cough, and sore throat due to respiratory illnesses such as influenza, COVID-19, RSV, and the common cold.
new Weekly number of hospitalizations due to new coronavirus infection The number of deaths remained unchanged for the week ending February 10 at 21,373, up slightly from 21,204 for the week ending February 3. Despite the increase, the number of coronavirus hospitalizations remains lower than at the same time last year.
Most counties remain in the low hospitalization category, with hospitalizations 10 hospitalizations due to coronavirus infection per 100,000 people.
Additionally, other metrics such as: positive test and Emergency department visit According to CDC data, it continues to decline.
Weekly number of new coronavirus deaths The week ending Jan. 20, the last week with complete data, had 2,152 cases, down slightly from 2,457 in the week ending Jan. 13.
Experts have previously explained that deaths are a lagging indicator and may take time to decline after hospitalizations.
Last week, the CDC announced The company is tracking the coronavirus variant known as BA.2.87.1, which has been detected nine times in South Africa so far, according to an update provided last week by the federal health department.
No cases of the variant have been reported outside the United States or South Africa, but the CDC notes that the current public health risk appears to be low.
Meanwhile, it was announced that the number of people hospitalized due to influenza decreased slightly from 11,073 the previous week to 10,787 in the week ending February 10. CDC datainfluenza positivity rates remain stable overall.
Influenza activity continues to rise across the country, with increases in the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Great Plains, according to the CDC.
The CDC estimates that the flu has sickened at least 24 million people, resulted in 260,000 hospitalizations and killed 16,000 people so far this season.
Adults 65 and older continue to have the highest rates of hospitalization for both coronavirus and influenza.
moreover, RS virus activity Many regions are seeing declines, and national numbers may reach their season peak. Infants under 4 years of age have the highest hospitalization rate for RSV.
Health officials continue to recommend that all eligible Americans get the latest flu and coronavirus vaccines, as well as the respiratory syncytial virus vaccine, but the U.S. continues to lag behind the trend.
Currently only 47.6% adult 22.3% of people had received an influenza vaccination, and 22.3% had received the latest coronavirus vaccine. Additionally, only 21.9% of adults 60 and older have received the RSV vaccine, according to CDC data.
While half (50%) of all children have received a flu shot, only 12.4% have received the latest coronavirus vaccine.
