As U.S. flu activity increases, three pediatric flu deaths were reported to CDC for the week ending Jan. 19, bringing the total number of pediatric flu deaths to 22 for this season, according to the CDC's most recent FluView report.
Five things to know:
1. The percentage of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness increased from 3.1 percent to 3.3 percent for the week ending Jan. 19, which is above the national baseline of 2.2 percent. All 10 regions reported influenza-like illness at or above their region-specific baseline level.
2. The CDC confirmed 4,851 positive respiratory specimens for influenza A and 99 positive specimens for influenza B for the week ending Jan. 19.
3. The CDC reported 4,262 laboratory-confirmed flu-associated hospitalizations from Oct. 1, 2018, through Jan. 19. The overall flu-associated hospitalization rate was 14.8 per 100,000 population.
4. Eighteen states experienced high influenza-like illness activity for the week ending Jan. 19. Ten states experienced moderate activity; eight states experienced low activity; and 14 states experienced minimal activity.
5. Thirty-six states reported widespread flu activity for the week ending Jan. 19. Eleven states reported regional flu activity; and three states reported local flu activity.
More articles on clinical leadership and infection control:
New lawsuits filed in loss of frozen embryos at Cleveland fertility center
How AI can help physicians communicate with patients, improve care
Computer program helps detect deadly food-borne pathogens