A new wave of flu cases is ripping across the country, and the post-Thanksgiving jump is sharper than health officials expected. Fresh data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show an 8% rise in positive flu tests in the last week alone. So far this season, an estimated 2.9 million people have gotten sick, and roughly 1,200 have died — numbers that typically don’t climb this fast until deeper into winter.
Several states have now bumped into higher alert tiers. As of Dec. 6, Colorado, New Jersey, New York, and Louisiana are all in the CDC’s “high” transmission category. A large group has followed behind: Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, Michigan, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, and Puerto Rico have moved into the “moderate” tier as spread accelerates.
New York City, which reports separately from the rest of New York State, is facing the worst of it right now. The city is officially in the CDC’s “very high” category — the most severe level of flu activity.
Driving much of this surge is a new version of the virus called subclade K, a fresh branch of the H3N2 family. H3N2 seasons have historically been rougher, linked to increased hospitalizations and higher death counts. With this new variant taking hold just as flu season naturally ramps up, the timing couldn’t be worse.
Still, it’s not too late to get vaccinated. The CDC stressed that “CDC recommends that every 6 months and older who has not yet been vaccinated this season get an annual influenza (flu) vaccine.” The agency says 127 million doses have been distributed so far.
The outlook, though, isn’t rosy. Flu activity typically heats up in December and peaks sometime between January and March, meaning this spike likely isn’t the peak — just the beginning. According to the CDC, tough weeks are ahead, and the best move now is staying ahead of the virus however you can.
Here’s where the virus is hitting hardest:
