Flu admissions jump ahead of Thanksgiving: 4 CDC notes

Flu activity continues to increase across the U.S., according to the latest CDC data. For the week ending Nov. 11, 2,721 patients with laboratory-confirmed flu cases were admitted to a hospital — up from 1,962 the week prior

Several states and U.S. territories are now reporting very high or high flu activity as well. This is the first time during the 2023-2024 flu season that an area — Louisiana —has reached "very high" activity. 

As of Nov. 11, eight areas reported high flu activity: Georgia, South Carolina, Washington, D.C., Alabama, Florida, New Mexico, Mississippi and Puerto Rico. 

Four more notes:

  • As of Nov. 11, influenza A accounted for a total of 75.8% of cases, while 24.2% were influenza B.
  • During the current 2023-2024 flu season, the CDC estimates that there have been 780,000 illnesses, 8,000 hospitalizations, and 490 deaths from flu.

  • At this time, eight states are still reporting moderate flu activity, 10 are reporting low activity, and 27 are still experiencing minimal flu activity.

  • Cases of other respiratory viruses are also increasing. As of Nov. 11, 3.5% of patient visits were due to a respiratory illness that "included fever plus a cough or sore throat," according to the CDC.

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