The United States of America is observing signs of an early flu season this year, as respiratory illnesses are already more than expected, and people are testing positive for influenza, mainly in the south and southeast.
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention has tracked visits to doctors’ offices for respiratory illness.
Along with this, the CDC tracked influenza activity on a map indicating all of the states of the United States as well as territories.
The map, which uses the data through October 15, shows only one place, Washington D.C., with the flu activity categorized as “very high.”
There were about five states, shown on the map in red, which means they have a high level of flu activity, New York, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee.
In addition, Alabama, Louisiana as well as Puerto Rico are also categorized as high but have lower numbers and therefore are shaded in orange.
Some of the local jurisdictions also report data to the CDC. Of those with data available, the metro areas of San Antonio, Texas; Memphis, Tennessee; Champaign-Urbana, Illinois; and Columbus, Georgia, had extremely high levels.
The map which shows the red zones is not based on confirmed influenza lab tests, but it marks where individuals are going to the doctor with flu-like symptoms, including respiratory illness as well as fever, plus a cough or sore throat.
Because of that, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asserted that the map might capture patient visits due to other respiratory pathogens that cause similar symptoms.
Furthermore, the chief medical affairs officer at AltaMed in Los Angeles, Dr Ilan Shapiro, mentioned in the statement, “This virus actually knows how to get us. It follows humans, meaning that we are going to be together, we’re going to be in those spaces with poor ventilation, and COVID-19 loves that.”
Shapiro added that influenza and RSV also spread fast under the same conditions.
