Covid, flu surge in US amid holidays, increasing health risks

There has been an uptick in flu and Covid-19 cases in the United States amid the holidays and health experts are concerned about the increasing health risks brought by the simultaneous spread of respiratory illnesses.

Xinhua reported that according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the amount of people seeking healthcare due to respiratory illnesses is increasing across most areas of the country.

This rise is attributed to several factors, including holiday gatherings, a high number of unvaccinated individuals and the emergence of a new, potentially more transmissible variant of the coronavirus, according to health experts.

The latest CDC data showed that seasonal influenza activity is high in the US and continues to increase in most parts of the country.

There were at least 5.3 million illnesses, 54,000 hospitalisations, and 3,200 deaths caused by flu in the US so far this season, based on CDC estimates.

According to the CDC, the number of weekly flu hospital admissions continues to increase, with over 9,800 patients admitted to hospitals with flu in the week ending Dec 16.

A total of 14 flu-associated paediatric deaths have also been reported in the country this season.

The CDC also mentioned that emergency department visits and laboratory test positivity for flu are increasing across the nation.

Concerning subvariant

Meanwhile, a new coronavirus subvariant known as JN.1 is spreading fast in the country, becoming a significant contributor to new Covid-19 cases.

JN.1 is currently the fastest-growing variant and the dominant one in the US, responsible for over 44 percent of new infections across the country, up from the previously reported 21.4 percent, said the CDC.

It also estimated that JN.1 is strongest in the Northeast regions including New Jersey and New York, where it accounts for nearly 57 percent of cases.

JN.1, which is closely related to the variant BA.2.86 that the CDC has been tracking since August, was first detected in the US in September 2023.

The JN.1 subvariant is likely more transmissible than other variants "or better at evading our immune systems than other circulating variants", said the CDC.

Health experts are concerned that the simultaneous spread of respiratory illnesses may heighten the risk for widespread impact on public health and healthcare systems, urging the public to take preventive measures.

Such measures include vaccination and adhering to health guidelines to mitigate the spread of infections and avoid severe outcomes of the viruses.

- Bernama

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