Flu season rages on, surpassing 2009 swine flu epidemic by some measures

The severe flu season of 2017-2018 could get worse before it gets better, officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned Friday.

With at least three strains now circulating across the U.S., with the most dangerous one designated H3N2, the season has already surpassed recent records for hospitalizations and other measures.

One out of every 10 deaths, or 10 percent of all fatalities reported in the U.S. during the third week of January were due to either the flu or pneumonia, which could be related to the flu, according to CDC acting director Anne Schuchat during a conference call with reporters. That amounts to 4,046 deaths related to the flu or pneumonia out of 40,414 total deaths that week based on CDC statistics.

During the period from Jan. 28 to Feb. 3, 10 more children died in the U.S. of the flu, bringing the total so far this season to 63.

The CDC reported an unusually high number of people hospitalized with the flu and flu-related health complications, including persons under the age of 65, who would traditionally be expected to fight off the virus more easily.

“We don’t have any signs of the rate of hospitalizations declining yet,” Schuchat said.

Flu-related deaths often lag behind the hospitalization rates, Schuchat said, adding that she expects more fatalities in the weeks to come.

“Almost everything we’re looking at is bad news,” she said. “The people who are likely to die may already be in the hospital.”

Schuchat also said the high proportion of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness, an indicator known as ILI, has been unusually high as well, surpassing levels since during the particularly nasty flu season of 2014-15 and on par with the H1N1 swine flu epidemic of 2009. All but two states in the country -- Oregon and Hawaii -- are reporting widespread flu outbreaks, Schuchat said.

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The CDC is predicting continued high levels of flu activity for several more weeks, at least. “This is a difficult season and we can’t predict how much longer the intense flu activity will last,” Schuchat said

Because other strains of influenza are beginning to circulate, Schuchat said it's not too late for people who have not yet been vaccinated to get the flu shot now, so that they have some protection.

It's been widely reported that this year's flu shot has been less effective than usual against the main strain of this year's flu, known as the H3N2 or "Hong Kong" strain of the virus. However, Schuchat said the CDC has not yet determined its exact efficacy, though evidence suggests the virus is mutating as it is spreading, outwitting the flu shot to some extent.

The flu shot is more effective at preventing influenza A and influenza B, both of which have been identified in increasing numbers of patients across the country in recent weeks. It's not uncommon for several waves of flu to sweep across the country in an individual season.

To reduce your risk of getting the flu, Schuchat said a combination of the flu shot plus common sense hygiene practices offer the best chance of staying healthy. Frequent hand washing, staying clear of sick individuals if possible, and if you do become sick, staying home from work are all measures you can take to stay healthy and protect others, she said.