In only a week, 34,000 people were confirmed, and nearly 2,000 people died. The US health system was under great pressure and was defeated again. This time it was not because of the new COVID, but it was the virus that people try to ignore influenza FLU.

The United States has never recorded so much influenza in a week. As of November 26, 2022, the US CDC received more than 34,000 influenza-positive reports from laboratories across the United States, as shown in the orange line below.

Single weekly data that exceeds any influenza season can be traced back to 1997. Even the influenza season in 2019-2020 is dwarfed.

“The most serious influenza season has been popular in 2009” -The December 7, 2022, WIVB News

Two maps come from similar time periods, one is from November 2022, and the other is from October 2009. The comparison shows that the infection rate is worse than when the flu was 10 years ago.

• The influenza rate on November 26, 2022 has exceeded 2009.

The influenza rate on October 24, 2009.

The most worrying rate of high hospitalization is the hospitalized bed that will occupy other viruses, such as RSV and new COVID-19. Taking New York State as an example, the week as of November 26 increased by 76% of flu cases from the previous week. If it is relaxed to 2022-2023, 68,926 cases have been reported, of which:

-0 to 4 -year -old babies 10,691 cases
-5 to 17 -year -old children 35,741 cases (most) (most)
-18-49-year-old adult 15,104 cases
-50-64-year-old adult 4,044 cases
3,338 cases of 65 years old and above

American influenza is common and fatal

Influenza rose sharply, partially related to increasing detection. The influenza test performed in the United States in November was about twice the same period of the same period last year (about 540,000) in the same period last year (about 540,000). However, there are still conclusive warning signals that influenza this winter is indeed not optimistic, not only more common, but also fatal. So far this year, the number of hospitalizations has been higher than that of any influenza season since 2010-2011, and it is still rising rapidly.

At the recent press conference, Rochelle Walensky, director of CDC, said that 78,000 influenza patients have been hospitalized this season, and nearly 17 of the 100,000 Americans are “the highest number in the winter in ten years.”

The trend of the highest hospitalization rate is consistent with the past and is an adult over 65 years old. People used to not take the influenza seriously, but the doctor said it was wrong. Thomas Russo, a professor and director of infectious diseases in New York Bull City University, said: “Before the new crown), influenza is the most fatal respiratory virus in the United States every year.” The influenza season lasts from October to May, usually leading to millions of people infection and thousands of people die.

Under the fatal warning of influenza, how many people die every year? Although even CDC is difficult to have exact figures, they will estimate the hospital diagnosis and hospitalization rate according to the influenza. According to the preliminary estimate of CDC, 25,000 people died of influenza in the influenza season of 2019-2020. In the influenza season from 2020 to 2021, due to the small volume of virus activity, it is estimated that 5,000 people died of flu. The seasonal differences are also very large. From 2018 to 2019, according to CDC data, 52,000 people died of influenza.

The new COVID-19 epidemic has made the influenza season more complicated. In the past, if someone died in pneumonia caused by flu, the death certificate would simply write “pneumonia”. However, after the emergence of the new coronal virus, the detection of the new coronal virus will clearly attribute to the new COVID. According to CDC estimates, from October 1st to October 29th, 730 ~ 2100 people died of flu, and 14 children have died in flu. At that time, the influenza season just started.

Therefore, the situation this winter is not optimistic.

So there is another question, do the US CDC know the exact number of seasonal influenza every year? The answer is unknown. This data is only estimated.

There are several reasons:

First of all, various states do not need to report to CDC’s influenza cases or deaths of people over the age of 18.

Secondly, the death certificate of people who died in influenza -related complications rarely list influenza.

Third, many of the deaths related to influenza occur in one to two weeks after a person’s first infection, either because this person may have secondary bacterial combined infections (such as bacterial pneumonia), or because the flu will increase the influenza aggravation will increase Existing chronic diseases (such as congestive heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).

In addition, most people who died of influenza -related complications did not conduct influenza testing, or they could not detect medical services when they were detected from the respiratory sample in the later stage of the disease (sensitive influenza testing was performed only within one week after the onset of the disease. To the flu).

In addition, in the clinical environment, some commonly used diagnostic influenza tests are not highly sensitive, and may provide false negative results (that is, misdiagnosis of influenza or not influenza).

For these reasons, many deaths related to influenza may not be recorded on the death certificate. This is some of the reasons why the Disease Prevention and Control Center and other public health institutions (in the United States and the world) use statistics and mathematical models to estimate the number of deaths related to influenza.

Why does the influenza in the United States explode now?
An important reason for the gathering of viruses is that the overall population is low in the level of antibodies of many common colds and influenza. The epidemic prevention measures have delayed the first infection of many children. Although it is beneficial to the health of individual children, it also means that when the prevention measures are canceled, more children are usually susceptible to severe infection.

Americans did not make every effort to protect themselves. Only 26%of adults and 40%of children inoculated this season. Among the adults who are eligible to get the latest new crowns, only 15%choose to vaccinate. This has lost important prevention opportunities. Walensky pointed out that the influenza vaccine is expected to be particularly valid this winter because it is very matched with different influenza strains every year. Inoculation can play a role. Because the hard data of the number of influenza people per year, it is much less likely to calculate how much the flu vaccine can be exempt from death, but the possibility of death after vaccination is much less. And the more fragile people, the greater the potential benefits of vaccines.

Epidemic prevention measures developed during the epidemic period are more popular, and it is also helpful to prevent the spread of other respiratory diseases. However, it did not vigorously promote the use of high -standard ventilation and filtering equipment in American buildings. A quarter of Americans actively reduce the exposure of daily activities. Only a few Americans often wear masks outdoors. CDC recommends that the public use a mask to take preventive measures to avoid influenza infection.

In the case of surge in influenza, the shortage of drugs makes the subsequent bacterial infection of the infected influenza complicated. The exacerbation of the epidemic has led to shortage of personnel. Pediatric hospitals have less resources than before, but they need to take care of more children. The pediatric health organization has called for the issuance of a state emergency statement but has not been responded.

Why is influenza so fatal?

Symptoms include
Fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose or nasal congestion, body pain, headache, cold and tiredness. Some people, especially children, may vomit and diarrhea. It may also be infected with influenza, having respiratory symptoms without fever.

Why is it so deadly?
Influenza is a infectious respiratory disease, which is caused by the influenza virus in the nose, throat, and lung infection. There are two main types -type A and B, regularly circulating each year. Although many people have to recover after illness, some people may die directly in this virus. Even in modern times, influenza viruses have very high lethality. In severe cases, pneumonia can be caused, which may be concurrently incorporating secondary bacterial infections. Other possible serious complications include:
•   Inflammation of the heart (myocarditis)
•   Brain inflammation (encephalitis)
Inflammation of the muscle tissue (myositis, transverse muscle solubility)
Multi -organ failure (such as respiratory and kidney failure)
Severe, a reaction to a threat to infection

High -risk crowd
People with 65 and above, pregnant women, children (especially young children with neurological diseases) and chronic diseases (asthma, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, AIDS, cancer, chronic kidney disease) patients, they have the risk of complications or even death. higher. There are also caregivers and other caregivers for medical staff and other people.

Overall, very young and older people may have insufficient physiological reserves when confronting influenza.

Prevent influenza
– Avoid close contact with patients.
– Wash hands with soap and water, at least 20 seconds.
– Without soap and water, you can use alcoholic toilet.
– Avoid contact with the eyes, nose and mouth.
– Clean and disinfect the surface and objects that are often contacting.
There are many indoor space wearing masks with more cases. If you are suspected of influenza, contact your doctor as soon as possible, or go to the local emergency nursing clinic. After following the doctor’s order, Tamiflu takes the best effect shortly after the symptoms, and the timing is very important.

Dr. David Cennimo, Medical Doctor of Medicine-Pediatric Infectious Disease, said: “Nevertheless, we have mastered the measures to prevent new COVID. The average influenza season is low. This is the “by -product ” for the efforts of masks, hand washing and social alienation.

In the United States, influenza usually reaches its peak from December to February. Whether the current fluctuations in early influenza indicate a long -term abnormal virus transmission period, as more and more people are severely ill and the burden of medical staff is getting heavier, it remains to be observed, and it is unclear how much pressure can American medical insurance systems be able to withstand.