December 20, 2022 – Each week, we will compile the latest data regarding flu and COVID-19 cases in the United States. As things change, we hope that this information will paint a better picture of what to look for in emerging COVID variant and in the upcoming flu season.
According to the CDC’s Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report, there have been 35,704 (24.8%) positive influenza specimens out of a total of 143,924 specimens tested in clinical laboratories. Influenza A makes up 35,568 of those cases, while Influenza B makes up 136 of the cases. The data from clinical laboratories are used to monitor whether flu activity is increasing or decreasing.
The CDC’s COVID-19 tracker reports that there are a daily average of 65,067 new cases (a 2.9% decrease from the week before) and a daily average of 5,010 new hospitalizations (a 2.3% increase from the previous week) as of December 14. The CDC says that there are several “lineages of omicron and within each are multiple sublineages.” The most dominant strains are BQ.1.1 projected at 38.4% and BQ.1 projected at 30.7%.
As we enter the holiday season, it’s very important to take steps to protect yourself and others from serious illness with COVID-19. If you have COVID-19 symptoms, the CDC recommends the following steps:
- Test: Use a self-test, locate a test site, or find a Test to Treat location.
- Talk: If you test positive, talk to a healthcare professional to determine if you are eligible for treatment, even if your symptoms are mild right now.
- Treat: Start treatment within five days of developing symptoms.