The U.S. flu season seems to have come to an end, and while it was lengthy, it wasn’t exceptionally severe, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For the third consecutive week, medical visits for flu-like illnesses have fallen below the threshold that defines an active flu season.
Other indicators, such as hospitalizations and patient testing, also show low and declining flu activity. Currently, no state is reporting a high level of flu activity, and only New England is experiencing patient traffic typically associated with an active flu season, although even there, the impact of the flu is considered modest.
The CDC estimates that since the beginning of October, there have been at least 34 million illnesses, 380,000 hospitalizations, and 24,000 deaths attributed to the flu. Tragically, 148 children have lost their lives to the flu this season.
CDC officials have described this flu season as “moderate,” an assessment that other doctors agree with. Dr. Jay Varkey, an infectious disease physician at Atlanta’s Emory University Hospital, stated that even at the peak of the flu season, they felt strained but never overwhelmed.
Dr. Varkey added that this flu season felt more like a traditional respiratory virus season, in contrast to the massive upswings experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, which complicated the situation.
This year’s flu season has been manageable for healthcare providers. The illness is usually mild for most people, but it can be more serious for vulnerable populations such as young children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems,
The Associated Press contributed to this article.