Respiratory virus activity is high or rising in most parts of the US and has not yet peaked.

CNN
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The respiratory virus season is well underway in the United States, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that the peak is yet to come. Low vaccination rates leave many people vulnerable to serious disease and strain health care systems.

“Covid-19 hospitals are growing rapidly. Since the summer, public health officials have been monitoring an increase in multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) in children caused by Covid-19. Influenza activity is increasing in most parts of the country. RSV activity remains high in many areas,” the CDC wrote Update Thursday on the website.

“In some parts of the country, hospital beds for children are as full as they were this time last year. If these trends continue, the situation at the end of this month could overwhelm emergency rooms and hospitals again. The strain on the health care system means that patients with other serious medical conditions may experience delays in care.

In the year In the week of Nov. 25, there were more than 8 hospitalizations related to respiratory viruses for every 100,000 people in the U.S., according to the CDC. Data – 52% increase in last month. Covid-19 is still the ID for most hospitals, but flu and RSV hospitalizations are growing rapidly.

Overall, there have been about half as many respiratory virus hospitalizations this season compared to the same period last year. But recently Prediction According to the CDC, this season will result in the same number of hospitalizations as last season — compared to pre-pandemic seasons.

“Vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from the serious consequences of these viral respiratory diseases,” the CDC said.

But vaccination rates are low, and the CDC said Thursday that there is an “urgent need” to increase vaccine coverage amid rising respiratory infections.

Flu-like activity is highest in the South, but rates are high or moderate in nearly half of US states, according to CDC data. Doctor’s office visits for influenza-like illness — symptoms that include fever with a cough or sore throat — have been above national baselines for six consecutive weeks and are now above baseline in all 10 geographic regions.

This season, the CDC estimates at least 3.7 million illnesses, 38,000 hospitalizations, and 2,300 deaths from the flu this season.

Nationally, the activity of the viv-19 virus detected in wastewater – a leading indicator of transmission – is high and increasing rapidly. It is the highest level of sewage in the Midwest. Data According to data from the CDC, Covid-19 is spreading more than it has since the Omicron wave two years ago.

There are signs that RSV activity has peaked in the US, as test positive rates and emergency room visits have started to drop. But the RSV hospitalization rate is still higher than it has been at any point in the last five years except last season’s peak.

In general, the elderly had the highest hospitalization rates for respiratory viruses during this period. About 230 of every 100,000 people 65 and older have been hospitalized with Covid-19, the flu or RSV since early October. But young children saw the same high amount. In the year In the week ending December 2, 33 of every 100,000 children under 5 were hospitalized for respiratory illness, almost all due to RSV.

Along with vaccination, the CDC recommends testing, treatment, and “everyday preventive measures” to help reduce the spread and impact of the disease, such as covering coughs and sneezes and staying home when sick.

“These tools that protect us – vaccines … screening and treatment and hand washing and ventilation and masks – all of these things are layers of protection that help us deal with the weather this season,” CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said at an event. on Tuesday.