US Hit By Worst Flu Surge Since COVID-19 Pandemic: Over 11 Million Infected, 5000 Dead; Children And Teens Hardest Hit
Another pandemic? Worst flu outbreak hits the United States (US), leaving the children and teens affected with severe symptoms. Check out details from the CDC below.
The United States is grappling with the worst flu outbreak since COVID-19 hit the world. According to data released Monday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 11 million people have contracted the flu so far this season and 5,000 people have died. Doctor and emergency department visits for flu-like illness are at the highest levels since before the pandemic hit in 2020, and the agency classified the current outbreak as "moderately severe" for the first time during the last week of 2025.
Another Pandemic Loading: Why Flu Cases Are On The Rise?
As per the latest developments, the US is facing a pandemic-like health threat following a sudden surge in flu cases. Taking note of the current trends, experts have also cautioned that the situation may turn worse in the upcoming weeks.
The CDC reportedly noted that there are indications the situation may grow even more dire. So what is causing this sudden spike in cases? As per the experts, fewer than 43% of adults were vaccinated at the end of last year. The surging flu activity across the US is being driven largely by a new variant, dubbed the "super flu".
Now the question is, what is this "super flu"? Virologists have stated that "super flu" is a mutation of the common H3N2 influenza strain, and shots that are now available appear to be a poor match for it.
Are we heading towards another pandemic-like situation in the US? "We're far from a peak in the US," said virologist Andy Pekosz from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "We don't know really how strong this virus is and how long it will be able to persist in the population."
Super Flu: Is It More Dangerous Than Previous Flu Strains?
As fresh flu cases are on the rise in the United States, experts have noted that a new and more advanced strain of the flu virus is responsible for the current surge in cases. But is this new strain more lethal? Can vaccines protect us? Here is what we know about the new strain so far:
Answering the question about how lethal is the new variant, Pekosz, a professor of microbiology, said, "The variant has the ability to evade protection from the vaccine or a previous infection. That's making a greater proportion of Americans susceptible to an infection and allowing the pathogen to spread quickly."
Symptoms You Are Infected With The Super Flu
As we have already faced the COVID-19 pandemic and seen the worst that a virus can actually do within the body, it is important that we take a close note of the virus and how it behaves after entering the human body. In the case of the "super flu", here are some of the common symptoms that says you are infected with the new virus variant:
- Persistent fever, accompanied by chills
- Headache that just doesn't go away
- Persistent cough and sneexing issue
- Throat ache and pain in the respiratory glands
- Runny nose and stuffy nose
- Extreme muscle pain and body ache
- Dirrhoea. The infected person may develop severe digestive issues that can lead to loose motion, pain in the abdominal area, etc.
How long does it take to show the symptoms? According to the experts, after catching the virus strain, the body starts showing symptoms about 1-4 days.
Who Is At High Risk of Catching Super Flu?
The CDC has warned that as per the current data, children and teenagers are the ones who are more likely to catch the infection faster and easily than others.
In an statement to the media, CDC officials said, "It's become a serious problem for children and teenagers. More than 8% of emergency department visits during the last week of the year were because of influenza, according to the CDC. That climbed to more than 20% of visits for kids 5 to 17 years old, and 18% for children under the age of 4, data from the public health agency showed."
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