Doctors on High Alert as Flu Season Starts

As millions of Americans travel and gather for Thanksgiving and other upcoming holidays, the flu has begun to spread earlier than usual in several parts of the nation, raising concerns that cases may soon spike.

A strain of the virus, known as the H3N2 subclade K, has caused widespread epidemics in Canada and the United Kingdom, prompting warnings.

Infectious disease specialist Dr Cameron Wolfe of Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina, said he has seen a significant rise in flu cases in recent weeks.

“At this point, I might see one or two cases a week,” Wolfe stated. “We’re currently receiving two, three, or four per day.”

Read: Meta Alerts Australian Teens to Download Data Before Ban

Early Flu Activity Raises National Concerns

“We certainly do expect we’re going to see influenza activity growing over the next several weeks,” stated Alicia Budd, chief of the domestic influenza surveillance team at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the CDC, the H3N2 type of flu has been the most prevalent this season in the United States. Older persons are more likely to be hospitalised and die from the H3N2 flu.

According to Wolfe, there may be particular concerns for this age range if there is an early increase in instances.

“There’s a chance that some nursing facilities may not have completed their vaccine deployments if there’s an extremely early flu season. Perhaps hospital employees aren’t adequately immunised, Wolfe added. “If a virus appears in January, for instance, the community as a whole might not be as protected as it might have been.”

Rising Case Numbers and CDC Observations

The CDC’s most recent flu data indicates that cases are increasing even while overall flu activity is thought to be low. According to the government, at least 650,000 people have contracted the flu this season. The study states that 300 individuals have died and around 7,400 have been hospitalised.

According to Budd, children are primarily responsible for the increase in cases and ER visits.

The flu claimed the lives of 280 children in the United States last year. Except for the 2009–10 H1N1 pandemic, it was the deadliest flu season ever documented for children.

This season, there have been no recorded pediatric deaths. However, clinicians who spent the previous winter witnessing the virus spread through schools, daycare centres, and, ultimately, hospitals are unsettled by the early increase in flu activity.

Mutation of H3N2 and Vaccine Effectiveness

Dr Buddy Creech, a pediatric infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Centre in Nashville, Tennessee, described it as “the calm before the storm.” “This year might be challenging due to influenza.”

It is well known that the H3N2 strain is prone to mutation. With a few changes, the strain’s subclade K form emerged throughout the summer. It surfaced after the composition of this season’s flu vaccines was decided.

The CDC is researching how well the vaccine protects against this most recent form of the virus, according to Budd. She nevertheless urged others to obtain the shot.

According to the CDC, the bulk of the flu circulating this year is the H3N2 strain. It is well known that H3N2 is prone to mutation.

After the composition of this year’s flu shots was decided, the specific H3N2 subclade, K, emerged throughout the summer. Massive outbreaks have already occurred in the UK and Canada.

Physicians Urge Vaccination as Cases Rise

According to Budd, the organisation is researching how well the vaccine works against the most recent form of the flu. She nevertheless urged others to obtain the shot.

“We know that the vaccine can help prevent the severity of illness, even in years where the virus contained in the vaccine may not be as similar to the strains that we’re seeing circulating,” Budd stated.

Physicians in the United States are keeping a careful eye on the rise in flu infections.

Does it activate our antenna a bit more? Indeed, according to Dr Daniel Varga, chief physician executive of Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey. “Looking at the traditional monitoring we do locally, it makes us even more vigilant.”

It’s still possible to obtain a flu shot, according to Dr Melanie Kitagawa, medical director of the intensive care unit for children at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston.

“It will be better if we can get more people vaccinated before the flu season begins,” Kitagawa stated.