The U.S. Is Facing Its Worst Respiratory Virus Surge in 2...

What’s Happening

Okay so Plus, what’s making this particular flu season so harsh.

Respiratory virus cases are at a 25-year high in the U. Flu cases are being driven by a new variant. (we’re not making this up)

Here’s what doctors want you to know about the flu right now.

The Details

Is dealing with an intense flu season . Flu cases have skyrocketed in the past few weeks, with the country facing its highest level of respiratory illness in 25 years, according to data d by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Based on the latest data, nearly 33% of clinical lab tests have come back positive for flu. Hospitalization rates and outpatient doctors’ visits because of the virus have also jumped.

Why This Matters

We tapped doctors to see what they want the public to know about the flu right now. , an infectious disease expert and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security; Thomas Russo, M. , a professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York; William Schaffner, M.

Health experts are weighing in on what this means for people.

Key Takeaways

• , an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine; Asefeh Faraz Covelli, Ph.
• All of those cases are being driven by a strain of the flu known as subclade K .

The Bottom Line

This variant mutated seven times over the summer to create a more infectious version of the flu, according to Thomas Russo, M. “Subclade K is largely evading prior immunity,” he says.

Thoughts? Drop them below.