Flu is Hard to Find in September

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) new report, very few influenza samples tested positive last week.

The CDC's FluView Week #35 report, published on September 8, 2023, data from clinical laboratories indicate 233 specimens tested positive for influenza, reflecting a 0.8% rate.

And public health laboratories reported only 41 positives out of 1,466 samples.

Nationwide, 1.8% of patient visits to healthcare providers last week were due to respiratory illness that included fever plus a cough or sore throat.

This data is increasing week over week, which can usually predict a flu outbreak is forecasted.

The unfortunate news is that influenza continues to cause related fatalities.

National Center for Health Statistics Mortality Surveillance data available on September 7, 2023, shows four death certificates listed influenza as an underlying or contributing cause of death.

Additionally, two influenza-associated pediatric deaths occurring during the 2022-2023 season were reported to the CDC during week #35.

A total of 174 influenza-associated pediatric deaths occurring during the 2022-2023 season have been reported to CDC. This is the most significant number of fatalities since the 2019-2020 flu season.

The CDC's new Director, Mandy K. Cohen, MD, MPH, recently recommended on X that people start getting their annual flu shot ahead of the 2023-2024 flu season.

'It's that time of year — I got my flu shot... Get yours to #FightFlu.'