NBC News reported that according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there had been a pandemic epidemic of influenza in the United States, with millions of people affected and nearly 3,000 deaths reported since the beginning of October (CDC).
Last week, over 11,200 people were hospitalized in the United States due to the flu, the highest weekly number since 2010. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued this information on Monday (CDC). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seasonal flu cases have skyrocketed. There were five verified cases of flu-related adolescent deaths in the week ending November 19. According to the CDC, 12 children under 18 have died from the flu this season.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 6.2 million cases of influenza, 53,000 hospitalizations, and 2,900 fatalities have been reported so far this season (CDC). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that influenza A (H3N2) accounts for 78% of the influenza A viruses discovered and subtypes this season, while influenza A (H1N1) accounts for 22%. (H1N1).
Viruses such as the flu, coronavirus, and respiratory syncytial virus have thrived on Thanksgiving dinner tables. RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and influenza (flu) cases are higher than usual for this time of year.
“RSV incidence rates have decreased slightly in some areas. An increase in influenza cases has been noted. We are concerned that the increased proximity of so many individuals would result in a rise in COVID-19 cases during the holiday season.” This assertion was made by Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to Anthony S. Fauci, a top infectious disease expert in the United States, RSV might become a public health disaster if it spreads further. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the best approach to avoid contracting the flu is to get a yearly flu vaccination. Vaccination is a highly efficient method of preventing disease and its possibly lethal consequences.
For the past half-century, scientists have attempted to develop a vaccine against the most lethal strains of influenza. The University of Pennsylvania is currently testing a novel form of flu vaccination with similar goals to the regular flu vaccine (20 different types of influenza).
Seasonal flu vaccinations are ineffective against pandemic flu viruses. A recent study published in science describes how difficult it is to develop reliable pre-pandemic vaccines due to uncertainty over which influenza virus subtype will produce the next pandemic.
The researchers created a vaccine with hemagglutinin antigens for all 20 influenza A virus subtypes and all influenza B virus lineages. The vaccine comprises messenger RNA (mRNA)-lipid nanoparticles that have been nucleoside-modified.
Vaccinating mice and ferrets with this multivalent vaccine resulted in a substantial number of antibodies reactive to all 20 encoded antigens. The beginning of the holiday season, with its unavoidable gatherings of friends and family, is predicted to increase the number of reported cases significantly.
According to the most recent CDC data, 6.2 million cases of influenza have been reported worldwide this season. Twelve of those who died as a result of the virus were children. Most influenza cases (roughly 76%) of H3N2 have been found in samples sent to the CDC this season. The rest are not H1N1, but the rest are. Illnesses caused by seasonal and pandemic flu are serious matters.
