The Hill As one variant of the flu virus starts to decline, another is rising to take its place.
At the end of last year, when flu activity spiked amid the holidays, influenza A – specifically the subclade K variant of H3N2 – was dominant. It was making so many people sick, the variant was nicknamed “super flu.” Influenza A is still the most common type of flu circulating, but influenza B has risen for two weeks straight, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Influenza B made up about 23% of cases tested in nationwide labs during the last week of January.
The latest available data shows flu activity “remains elevated nationally,” but most regions are stable or getting better. One exception: the Pacific Northwest is still seeing things get worse, according to CDC tracking. Oregon has landed itself in the CDC’s worst tier for flu activity, as have six other states. Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, South Carolina and Tennessee also have “very high” levels of flu. Twenty more states still have “high” flu activity, as seen in shades of red and orange on the map above.
Eight more pediatric deaths associated with the flu were reported at the end of January, bringing the total to 60 pediatric deaths this season. Ninety percent of those deaths were in children who were not fully vaccinated against influenza, the CDC said.
The agency now categorizes this flu season as “high severity” for children, but “moderate severity” for adults and those over 65.