Flu is Rising Nationwide, CDC Reports, with Spikes in ER Visits
Trends Show High Flu Activity and Rising Cases
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new flu data to the public on Friday, despite the Trump administration’s halt of nearly all scientific communication coming from federal health agencies. The information was not reported as it usually is by the CDC, in a weekly breakdown of flu activity called FluView, but was added to a section that focuses on respiratory illnesses in general.
Rising Flu Activity in Many Areas
Trends show that flu activity remains high and is rising in many areas of the country, with increases in flu found in wastewater samples, the number of positive flu tests, and flu-related visits to the emergency room. As of the week ending on January 18, the percentage of tests that came back positive for the flu was 25%, up from 19% the week before.
Increase in ER Visits for Flu
Emergency departments are also seeing an increasing number of people sick with flu, especially babies, older children, and teens. Of overall visits to the ER, 5.2% were for the flu, and were close to reaching the surge hospitals saw before the winter holidays.
Hospitals Rely on CDC’s Weekly Update
Hospitals rely on the CDC’s weekly update to prepare for what’s coming their way, especially because flu is notoriously unpredictable. “We look at data like this to see what additional resources we might need to bring in,” said Dr. Aaron Glatt, chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau in New York. “It gives us a certain sense of what will happen.”
Limited Information Released
The flu information released Friday did not provide the level of detail that’s normally found in its weekly FluView, such as specifics on flu strains and whether antiviral medications can still treat them. And it didn’t provide an easy way to compare the rates of flu spread in different areas.
Expert Concerns
Communicable diseases can suddenly spread quickly, said Leighton Ku, director of the Center for Health Policy Research at George Washington University. “It can be a situation where the flu is slowing down in one jurisdiction while speeding up in another.” Dr. Robert Murphy, executive director of the Robert J. Havey Institute for Global Health at Northwestern University, said it’s crucial for the CDC and other federal health agencies to be free to report on the fast-moving bird flu outbreak. “It’s changing literally by the hour,” he said. “Are we supposed to just forget about that?”
Conclusion
While the CDC’s failure to release its usual flu report on Friday may not be a cause for major alarm, experts are concerned about the lack of transparency and the potential consequences for public health.
FAQs
Q: Why didn’t the CDC release its usual flu report on Friday?
A: The Trump administration’s halt of nearly all scientific communication coming from federal health agencies is the reason for the delay.
Q: Is this unprecedented?
A: No, it’s not. The FluView report was previously released after its scheduled time because of the national day of mourning for former President Jimmy Carter.
Q: Are there any concerns about the lack of transparency?
A: Yes, experts are concerned about the lack of transparency and the potential consequences for public health.
