Overview
- CDC data for the week ending Jan. 10 show the test positivity rate at 18.6%, outpatient respiratory visits at 5.3%, and a sharp week‑over‑week drop in flu hospitalizations.
- The share of deaths attributed to influenza rose to 2.1%, even as overall flu admissions and clinic visits decreased for a second consecutive week.
- Thirty‑four states still report high or very high activity, including 14 at very high and 20 at high levels, underscoring wide regional variation.
- This season’s burden is estimated at 18 million illnesses, 230,000 hospitalizations and 9,300 deaths, with some hospitals postponing elective procedures to manage capacity.
- H3N2 subclade K accounts for more than 90% of characterized influenza A samples; the CDC reports 32 pediatric deaths this season, 15 added last week, and 90% of those with known status were not fully vaccinated.