Flu falls but Covid makes comeback, latest CDC data shows trends now
Flu cases have fallen by more than two thirds in a fortnight and RSV is continuing to trend downwards — but Covid deaths are starting to rise.
Today's report showed 8,200 flu cases were detected in the first week of the new year, down from the 28,000 registered two weeks ago. Hospitalizations with flu-like illness also tumbled below levels recorded at this time last year.
RSV followed its downward trend for the eighth week in a row, dropping to 2,100 cases registered in the same week — or the lowest number since early September.
But Covid fatalities have risen 44 percent in a week, with 3,900 recorded in the week to January 11. However, this was barely a third of the 13,000 registered for the same week last year and experts said the uptick may be an 'artifact' from the vacation period which likely delayed the reporting of many deaths.
The above graph shows flu cases reported by US clinical laboratories in the week to January 7, or the first of the year. It showed flu continued its decline nationwide
The above maps show the flu levels in each state over the week to December 31 (left), and the week to January 7 (right)
In its weekly update, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said: 'Seasonal flu activity continues but is declining in most areas.
'The percentage of patient visits [to hospitals] for respiratory illness decreased for all regions during [the first week of the year].'
They added: 'CDC continues to recommend that everyone ages six months and older gets an annual flu vaccine as long as flu activity continues.'
Fears about a so-called 'tripledemic' first emerged over summer when Australia and New Zealand — whose winter is during America's summer — suffered devastating flu seasons.
Experts have pointed to lockdowns, mask mandates and other pandemic orders over the past two years as the likely reason why this year's flu season has been more brutal than those past.
This is the worst flu season America has suffered since the Swine Flu Pandemic of 2009 — and experts have warned for months that it would be a long and harsh winter.
The above graph shows hospitalizations with flu-like illness in the US. There were four percent reported in the latest week, compared to 5.4 percent in the previous week. This was below the level at this time of year for last year's flu season
This graph shows weekly confirmed flu hospitalizations in the US, which are also declining
Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 was now the most common variant in the US
It is dominant in the northeastern states, and growing fast in other areas
At one point earlier in December, hospitals in some areas were more full than they had ever been during the pandemic.
But the latest CDC update shows that cases are going down, and continue to as both the flu and RSV burn out.
The 10,000 flu cases
