Flu hospitalizations hit 12-year high for this time of year
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Hospitalizations for influenza are the highest they have been at this time of year since 2010, the CDC reported Friday.
There have been at least 8.7 million illnesses, 78,000 hospitalizations and 4,500 deaths from influenza so far this season in the United States, according to the CDC, with hospitalizations doubling over the course of a week to 19,593 patients in the week ending Nov. 26.
The cumulative hospitalization rate of 16.6 per 100,000 people is the highest for this time of year since the 2010-2011 season, the agency said.
“Seasonal influenza activity is high and continues to increase across the country,” the CDC said in its weekly FluView report, adding that “the majority of influenza viruses tested are in the same genetic subclade as and antigenically similar to the influenza viruses included in this season’s influenza vaccine, [and] all viruses collected and evaluated this season have been susceptible to influenza antivirals.”
The agency said 25.1% of clinical lab samples tested positive for influenza during the week ending Nov. 26, with influenza A (H3N2) continuing to be the most frequently reported virus in testing at public health laboratories.
About 7.5% of visits to health care providers were for a respiratory illness during the week, remaining far above baseline, and more than 47 jurisdictions across the country have experienced high or very high respiratory illness activity, according to the CDC.
GoodRx, which is tracking prescriptions based on data from pharmacies and insurers, this week reported a 100% increase in prescriptions for the antiviral Tamiflu and its generic oseltamivir over the same time last year.
“This is likely due to several factors, including a precautionary effort,” Tori Marsh, director of research at GoodRx, told Healio. “The ‘tripledemic’ is certainly raising concern this season as [influenza, RSV and COVID-19] have simultaneously spiked. While the rise in Tamiflu fills could be in part credited to more severe cases and infected people seeking faster recovery, the medication is also used for prevention purposes.”
Marsh said the GoodRx data collection is consistent with CDC’s tracking of infections, and that the “steep climb” seen in refills over the last 8 weeks makes it “safe to say this is a much earlier flu season than expected.”
“That’s not to say this will be the only spike, but the fill rates are certainly much higher than in years prior,” she said.
Aaron E. Glatt, MD, MACP, FIDSA, FSHEA, chairman of the department of medicine at Mount Sinai South Nassau in Oceanside, New York, told Healio his hospital — like many others across the country — has seen an increase in influenza cases, on top of RSV and increasing numbers of patients with COVID-19.
“Hospitals are dealing with [these] increases as best as we possibly can and are making sure there are appropriate resources available to treat and care for these patients in the most optimal fashion,” Glatt said.
“Vaccination against influenza and COVID-19 remain critical cornerstones to reducing the clinical impact of these highly contagious and serious viral illnesses,” he said.
References:
- CDC. FluView: Weekly U.S. influenza surveillance report. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm. Accessed Dec. 2, 2022.
- GoodRx. Live updates: Tracking Tamiflu fills during the 2022-2023 flu season. https://www.goodrx.com/healthcare-access/research/flu-season-tracking-tamiflu-fills. Accessed Dec. 2, 2022.
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