(AP) NEW YORK — Flu season in the US continues getting worse.



Health officials said on Friday that diseases resembling the flu were the cause of 7.5% of last week's outpatient appointments. That is higher than any season since and equal to the height of the 2017–18 flu season. Normally, the winter flu season doesn't start until December or January, but this year it started early and has been made more difficult by the concurrent spread of other diseases.


Not lab-confirmed diagnoses, but rather reports of symptoms like coughs and sore throats, are used to gauge how busy doctors' offices are. Therefore, various respiratory diseases might be included. It is also challenging to draw comparisons to flu seasons prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a typical cause of cold-like symptoms that can be harmful for infants and the elderly. Other years haven't seen this year's exceptionally high wave of RSV.


The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that 44 states reported high or very high flu activity last week. This might not be promising for the near future. According to specialists, there was probably a greater transmission of respiratory illnesses at congested airports and at Thanksgiving meals.


The predominant influenza strain at this time is one that is frequently linked to increased rates of hospitalization and fatalities, particularly in persons 65 and older. According to the CDC, this season's flu has resulted in at least 78,000 hospital admissions and 4,500 fatalities. There have been at least 14 child fatalities.


Nearly all Americans who are at least 6 months old or older should get a flu vaccination.