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In the Southeast, a peculiarly nasty flu strain that is often associated with terrible unwellness and hospitalization is presently the ascendant strain, according to the CDC. It’s a subtype of the influenza A microorganism — known by the technological sanction of H3N2 — and tin beryllium particularly hard connected children and older adults.
Very sick children person been swamping pediatric hospitals successful Georgia and crossed the country.
In Georgia, 83% of pediatric ICU beds are occupied, according to the astir caller national data. That’s a crisp emergence from April erstwhile it was conscionable nether 60%.
“Currently, the United States is experiencing a resurgence successful the circulation of non-COVID-19 respiratory viruses,” Dr. José R. Romero, Director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases told reporters during a media telebriefing Friday. He pointed to elevated levels of flu; RSV, an precocious respiratory unwellness communal among children nether property 5; and rhinoviruses, which are the astir communal origin of colds.
“However, it’s important to enactment that COVID-19 is not gone.”
The immense bulk of children hospitalized successful the intensive attraction portion astatine Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta are for respiratory viruses according to a spokesperson. Flu-related hospitalizations are the driving unit down the existent onslaught.
RSV, which had surged successful infants and young children successful August, September, and October, has been slowing down successful caller weeks. The fig of children hospitalized for COVID-19 astatine Children’s is simply a distant third.
Dr. Andi Shane, part main for pediatric infectious illness astatine Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University said astir of the children hospitalized astatine Children’s for the flu person not been vaccinated. The CDC recommends everyone 6 months and older get a flu changeable each twelvemonth by the extremity of October, though the bureau stresses getting the vaccine aboriginal is amended than not getting astatine all. A flu vaccine tin forestall infection, and among those who inactive go sick with flu, vaccination tin trim the severity of the illness
CDC information shows flu vaccine sum among each children this twelvemonth is astatine 24.8%, comparable to the vaccine rates astatine the aforesaid clip past twelvemonth of 25.2%.
Last month, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta said they were seeing an “unprecedented” fig of sick children, forcing them to grow their exigency country with a structure erected successful a parking lot. The infirmary is besides urging non-pediatric exigency rooms to attraction for immoderate children, particularly older teens, alternatively of moving them to Children’s, according to a spokesperson.
A infirmary spokesperson declined to supply circumstantial numbers but said the surge is 2 to 3 times their mean measurement of patients.
On Friday afternoon, according to the infirmary system’s website, exigency country hold times were much than 3 hours astatine each Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Hospitals.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, arsenic radical stayed location and wore masks, cases of flu and RSV fell to historically debased levels. Many people, particularly young children, didn’t make immunity due to the fact that they weren’t exposed to viruses. Now, amid the loosening of COVID precautions, these illnesses are making a roaring comeback.
There’s nary vaccine for RSV and by the property of 2, astir each children person had the virus. Symptoms often look similar a communal acold and tin see a runny nose, congestion, and fever. But successful immoderate cases, RSV tin crook dangerous, particularly among infants, starring to breathing occupation and complications specified arsenic pneumonia.
Meanwhile, the flu, which got disconnected to an unusually aboriginal and drastic commencement this fall, continues to intensify.
The Georgia Department of Public Health reports an estimated 6% of diligent visits to doctors were for flu oregon flu-like illnesses during the week ending Oct. 22, according to the astir caller week for which numbers are available. That’s up from 5.9% from the erstwhile week. There were 105 radical successful metro Atlanta hospitalized with influenza during the week ending Oct. 22, and truthful acold this play 2 adults person died arsenic a effect of the flu successful Georgia, according to DPH.
AJC information writer Stephanie Lamm contributed to this article.
Flu by the numbers successful Georgia
6% - estimated percent of diligent visits to doctors for flu oregon flu-like illnesses.
105 – fig of radical hospitalized for influenza successful metro Atlanta
2 – fig of radical who person died successful the authorities from the flu truthful acold this season
Source: Georgia Department of Public Health and based connected the astir caller disposable surveillance for the week ending Oct. 22.
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