Flu activity in the U.S. has been rising over the past four weeks, with nine of 10 regions at or above their baseline activity for the week ending Nov. 30, according to the CDC's most recent FluView report.
Six things to know:
1. Twelve states experienced high flu-like illness activity for the week ending Nov. 30. Another 14 states experienced moderate activity, eight states reported low activity and 16 states experienced minimal activity.
2. The percentage of outpatient visits for flu-like illness was 3.5 percent for the week ending Nov. 30, up from 2.9 percent a week prior. This figure surpasses the national baseline of 2.4 percent.
3. About 10 percent of respiratory specimens tested positive for flu in clinical laboratories nationwide for the week ending Nov. 30. The agency has confirmed 10,826 positive specimens since Sept. 29.
4. One new pediatric flu death was reported to the CDC in the week ending Nov. 30. Six pediatric deaths have occurred in the 2019-20 flu season thus far.
5. Sixteen states reported widespread flu activity, and 14 reported regional flu activity for the week ending Nov. 30. Seventeen states reported local flu activity, while three states reported sporadic activity.
6. The overall flu-associated hospitalization rate was 2.7 per 100,000 people, an increase from 2.0 per 100,000 for the week ending Nov. 23. The CDC has confirmed 784 flu-associated hospitalizations since Oct. 1.