Newly updated CDC data reveals that while respiratory virus activity remains elevated across the United States, there are indications that a peak may have been reached for at least one virus.
As of Friday, ‘high’ or ‘very high’ levels of respiratory illness activity were observed in 35 states, along with New York City and the District of Columbia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes a slight decrease from 38 earlier in the week.
Decrease in Emergency Department Visits
Emergency department visits with diagnosed influenza, COVID-19, and RSV remain high, but all three conditions saw a decrease over the last week. The CDC, however, cautions that this decline may be attributed to “holiday-related healthcare seeking behavior and will be monitored.”
For the week ending Jan. 6, weekly COVID-19 hospitalizations rose to 35,801, marking the ninth consecutive week of increases. Notably, this remains lower than hospitalizations recorded at the same time last year.
The rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations is partly attributed to the JN.1 variant, constituting an estimated 61.6% of cases in the US as of Jan. 6. Although JN.1 has mutations that may enhance transmissibility or immune evasion, there is no evidence of distinct symptoms or increased severity.
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CDC Observes Dip in Influenza Hospital Admissions
According to CDC data, influenza activity remains high, but weekly new hospital admissions slightly decreased to 18,506. The CDC will monitor for a potential second period of increased influenza activity post-winter holidays.
The agency estimates 14 million illnesses, 150,000 hospitalizations, and 9,400 deaths from the flu this season.
RSV hospitalizations appear stable, with a slight increase in the weekly rate from 3.6 per 100,000 to 3.7 per 100,000 for the week ending Dec. 23. Unlike COVID-19 and flu, RSV hospitalizations are highest among children aged 4 and younger, followed by adults aged 65 and older.
Despite vaccines being available for COVID-19, flu, and RSV, the CDC reports that the percentage of the population reporting receipt of these vaccines remains low for adults.
As of Friday, only 21.4% of adults aged 18 and older have received the updated COVID-19 vaccine, while 46.8% have received the flu vaccine.
Additionally, just 20.1% of adults aged 60 and older have received the RSV vaccine, introduced for the first time this season. Ongoing efforts are crucial to increasing vaccination rates and mitigating the impact of respiratory illnesses across the population.
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