Respiratory virus season is well underway, and with holiday travel plans approaching, the CDC said it anticipates millions of people to get sick over the next two months, particularly as vaccination rates remain low.
"Low vaccination rates, coupled with ongoing increases in national and international respiratory disease activity caused by multiple pathogens, including influenza viruses, SARS-CoV-2, and RSV, could lead to more severe disease and increased healthcare capacity strain in the coming weeks," the agency said in a recent health advisory recommending clinicians administer immunizations to those who are eligible.
Over the past few weeks, new hospitalizations for COVID-19 increased 51% and flu admissions jumped 200%. There were more than 23,000 new COVID admissions reported for the week ending Dec. 9, the latest week for which data are available. In the same week, there were more than 7,000 new flu admissions. Overall, hospitalization rates are highest among children younger than 4 and adults 65 and older.
Four more details:
- While metrics are rising, COVID, flu and RSV activity are still below levels seen at this time last year, meaning the peak is yet to come.
- RSV activity has fallen slightly in some Southeastern states but remains elevated overall. CDC Director Mandy Cohen, MD, recently said the peak of RSV season may be near. National data currently aligns with that forecast. The RSV hospitalization rate per 100,000 population was 2.3 for the week ending Dec. 9, down from 3.2 in the first week of the month.
- Hospital and emergency department patients may face delays in receiving care over the next few weeks if trends continue to increase. "In some parts of the country, hospital beds for children are already nearly as full as they were this time last year," the agency said. "If these trends continue, the situation at the end of this month could again strain emergency departments and hospitals."
- Of the nation's more than 635,000 total inpatient beds, nearly 77% were occupied for the week ending Dec. 9. When zooming in on intensive care unit beds, about 73% were occupied.