For the week of Feb. 6 to Feb. 13, outpatient visits for influenza-like illness in the U.S. reached 3.1 percent, a full percentage point above the 2.1 percent baseline and the highest number on record for this season, according to the CDC. The previous highest proportion of outpatient visits for the 2015-2016 flu season was 2.4 percent.
Additionally, the highest number of U.S. regions — 9 out of 10 — so far this season saw heightened flu activity, and two flu-associated pediatric deaths were reported for the week. However, the nationwide proportion of deaths attributed to flu remained below system-specific epidemic levels.
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