Flu is rising rapidly nationwide driven by a new variant
Hays Post••health
Key Points:
- Flu cases are rapidly increasing across the U.S., driven by a new variant called subclade K, with more than half the states reporting high or very high levels of illness according to the CDC.
- This flu season has already resulted in an estimated 7.5 million illnesses, 81,000 hospitalizations, and 3,100 deaths, including at least eight child fatalities, based on data through December 20.
- Subclade K is a mutated version of the H3N2 strain, known for causing severe illness, especially in older adults, and it partially evades protection from this year’s flu vaccine.
- Health experts emphasize it is not too late to get vaccinated, as the flu shot still offers
