From WWW.FOXNEWS.COM
The flu season arrived early and is bound to get worse, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in its latest release of flu data.
“Seasonal influenza activity is elevated across the country,” said the health agency in its Nov. 28, 2022, edition of the Weekly U. S. Influenza Surveillance Report. The report covered the week ending Nov. 19.
This year, over 2,900 people, including 12 children, have died from influenza since October, said the CDC; five of those children died the week ending Nov. 19.
An estimated 53,000 people have been hospitalized by flu so far this season, the agency said.
The cumulative hospitalization rate this year is “higher than the rate observed in week 46 during every previous season since 2010-2011,” the report noted.
Typically, the flu season peaks in later winter months, noted the CDC.
“This is severe and early flu season in terms of case numbers of hospitalizations and deaths,” Dr. Marc Siegel, a Fox News medical contributor and professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, told Fox News Digital via email on Tuesday. “Several children have died.”
He also said, “There are several reasons, including that this is a bad strain of flu. We have had very mild flu seasons the last few years, so our partial immunity from previous exposure is lacking, and flu shot uptake is down — even though it is a good match this year.”
“I believe that our immune systems are a bit slower to respond because of prior lockdowns, masks” and more, said Dr. Marc Siegel.
Flu season “generally peaks” in January-February, he noted, but “it is already at high levels in many states.”
He added, “Also, I believe that our immune systems are a bit slower to respond because of prior lockdowns, masks” and more…. (Read more)
