Health officials in the United States fear that the flu season is going to be deadly in decades this time. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has said that it is hard to predict the severity of the flu season at the moment. However, it is expected to be as deadly as the 2017 and 2018 flu season. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had declared the 2017 and 2018 flu season in the US was worse in more than four decades. Dr. Fauci has cautioned that initial indicators show that it is going to be a bad season. As per the current records, at least 2900 people have reportedly died so far in this flu season across the United States. This death toll is 800 deaths more than the estimated figure previous week.
Since the season began in October, hospitalization, and flu cases have increased rapidly in the US. According to the CDC report, there have been at least 6.4 million flu incidents and 55000 hospitalizations. Dr. Fauci has said that there is a possibility that rising flu season reverse on its own and does not reach the levels of severity. He also has warned that if the trajectory of the flu season continues to rise, it is not going to be good. He has also compared the ongoing flu season to two of the most dreaded flu seasons in the recent decade. This flu outbreak has beaten the severity of the 2014 and 2015 flu season. It is also reaching the peak of the deadly 2017 and 2018 flu epidemic.
This year, the flu pandemic has especially affected children with 27 deaths through 28 December. This is the highest number of deaths as of now in this season. Children have been badly affected by the flu season because they are prone to catch influenza B. Influenza B is the dominant strain in this flu outbreak. Flu A and Flu B are comparatively stable this time as most of the adults are already vaccinated earlier in life. Analysts have warned the health officials that the worst situation might arrive any time soon.
