Flu and RSV outbreak cancels Christmas events and closes schools early ahead of the holidays
More than a dozen states have been upgraded to a status of ‘high’ or ‘very high’ levels of respiratory virus activity, with some forced to close schools and cancel holiday events.
Oregon and Louisiana are seeing very high levels of the flu, Covid, RSV and other respiratory illnesses for the week ending December 14, the latest data available.
While California, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Kansas, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, New Jersey, Washington, DC and New York City are reporting high levels.
The number of states at either of these levels is double from the week prior, with experts saying illnesses are rising quickly. And in some states, hospitals are reinstating mask rules in hopes of curbing the spread.
Dr William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, which is dealing with a respiratory illness spike in the Nashville area, told the East Bay Times: ‘Flu has been increasing, but just this last week has exploded.’
Alabama was the newest state to be upgraded this week and the state had to cancel classes for three days at one school in Limestone County as the district fights a flu outbreak.
Sugar Creek Elementary School announced it had ‘been monitoring the amount of sickness among students and staff’ and decided to close for three days ‘to give our students and staff a chance to recover and stop the spread.’
Additionally, the school postponed a holiday event until next month ‘due to the high number of illnesses in our school and community.’
Children and seniors are at particular risk for severe illness from flu, RSV or Covid
Christmas festivities in Hartselle, Alabama were also postponed ‘due to so many of our vendors being under the weather.’
In a social media post, the organizers said: ‘Due to multiple vendors having the FLU…we feel it’s best to CANCEL THE Rocky Acres Christmas Market!!! We are so sorry for any inconvenience!!!’
Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) medical officer Wes Stubblefield said the state’s number of flu-like illnesses continues to surge.
He told local Fox 54: ‘This year, our numbers have started to rise pretty dramatically over the last two to three weeks. We don’t know where the peak will end. But it’s safe to say that the flu is here, and everyone needs to be prepared.’
Nationally, lab tests for positive influenza cases have risen nine percent and 9,000 people have been hospitalized during the past week. Doctors visits for the flu have risen four percent and two more deaths from the virus were reported this week.
Thus far for the 2024-2025 flu season, the CDC estimates there have been nearly 2million illnesses, 23,000 hospitalizations and 1,000 deaths.
Experts partly attribute the highly active start of flu season to lower vaccination rates.
As of December 7, only 41 percent of both adults and kids had received a flu shot.
The flu is not the only virus driving respiratory illness activity rates. RSV, respiratory syncytial virus, is also picking up.
Each year in the US, RSV leads to approximately 2.1million outpatient visits among children younger than five years old, though this is likely an undercount because many people with the virus don’t seek medical treatment.
One way officials estimate the spread of a virus is through wastewater testing, and levels of RSV being detected in wastewater are on the rise.
Wastewater monitoring by the CDC can detect viruses spreading within communities earlier than lab testing of patient samples can and even before people who are sick visit a doctor.
It can also detect infections without symptoms.
The overall RSV activity level in wastewater is currently ‘low,’ but has seen a sharp increase over the last several weeks.
During the two weeks between November 30 and December 14, national wastewater levels of RSV activity increased 160 percent, according to the CDC.
Activity was marked as ‘very high’ in Arkansas, Arizona, Connecticut, Missouri, Louisiana, Washington, DC, and Maryland during the week of December 8 to 14.
The above graph shows the nationwide activity of RSV detection levels in wastewater
The above map shows the activity of RSV detection levels in wastewater in each state
The CDC estimates 22,000 to 45,000 people were hospitalized with RSV during from October 1 to December 7.
It is also estimated the virus has caused 980 to 2,300 deaths.
Meanwhile, the numbers are even higher for Covid, with up to 120,000 hospitalizations and 13,000 deaths.
In light of the growing numbers, the CDC says immunizations are the best way to prevent serious illness from Covid, RSV and flu.
Everyone aged six months and older is advised to be up to date with the most recent Covid vaccine, while the flu vaccine is recommended annually, each season.
For RSV, there are two options recommended to protect infants and one is recommended for a small group of young children aged eight to 19 months who are at increased risk for severe RSV.
RSV vaccines – given as single doses – are recommended for all adults ages 75 and older and adults ages 60 to 74 who are at increased risk.
Older residents in nursing homes are at heightened risk of severe illness and death from any one of the three viruses due to their weakened immune systems.
During the 2021-2022 flu season, the death rate for people 65 years and older was around 7.4 per 100,000 population, compared to 0.1 per 100,000 people among those aged 18 to 49 years.
If you have received an RSV vaccine already, the CDC says you do not need to get another RSV vaccine at this time.
Along with getting vaccinated, the CDC recommends mask wearing ‘during periods of increased acute respiratory infections in the community’.
It adds: ‘Coughing patients and anyone suspected of having influenza should wear a mask at all times until they are isolated in a private room.
‘[However] no recommendation can be made at this time for mask use in the community by asymptomatic persons, including those at higher risk for complications, to prevent exposure to influenza viruses.’
