Tag: respiratory virus season

CDC Weekly Snapshot Shows Respiratory Virus Activity High

As of January 5, 2024, CDC is reporting that respiratory illness is increasing across the country. The levels are generally high in almost all regions.

“Activity Levels Update:

  • The amount of respiratory illness (fever plus cough or sore throat) causing people to seek healthcare is elevated or increasing across most areas of the country. This week, 39 jurisdictions experienced high or very high activity.
  • Nationally, emergency department visits due to influenza and COVID-19 are elevated in all age groups and increasing in all but school-aged children. Recent, holiday-related school closures and associated changes in healthcare seeking behavior may be impacting trends in influenza- and COVID-19-related visits among school-aged children. RSV-related emergency department visits decreased slightly nationally.
  • Nationally, COVID-19 wastewater viral activity levels and test percent positivity—indicators for infection levels—are higher than the same time last year (currently estimated as being 27% higher and 17% higher, respectively). However, indicators for illness requiring medical attention are lower, including emergency department rates being 21% lower than the same time last year.”

Moderate Respiratory Illness Activity in Iowa

The CDC tracks respiratory illness and there is moderate activity in Iowa according the data tracker.

The weekly snapshot as of December 1, 2023 shows highlights including:

  • “COVID-19 test positivity (percentage of tests conducted that were positive), emergency department visits, and hospitalizations have increased nationally. A group of Omicron variants (XBB and its sublineages) are the predominant lineages detected in the U.S., with HV.1 being most common. The prevalence of another lineage, BA.2.86, is projected to account for 5-15% of currently circulating variants. CDC continues to monitor HV.1, BA.2.86, and all other lineages.
  • National test positivity, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations for influenza continue to increase.
  • RSV emergency department visits and hospitalizations continue to increase across the country. RSV-associated hospitalization rates remain elevated among young children and are increasing among older adults; of note, only 14.8% of adults 60+ report having received an RSV vaccine.
  • National vaccination coverage for COVID-19, influenza, and RSV vaccines increased less than one percentage point for children and adults, where indicated, compared to the previous week and remains low for both groups.
  • CDC has been monitoring increases in respiratory illness reported recently among children, including potential elevated rates of pediatric pneumonia in parts of the United States. These reported increases do not appear to be due to a new virus or other pathogen but to several viral or bacterial causes that we expect to see during the respiratory illness season. CDC will continue to work closely with our state and local public health partners to maintain strong situational awareness and will provide updates, as needed.”

CDC Update on Covid-19 Variant BA.2.86

I saw a news item headline which mentioned Covid-19 Variant. BA.2.86. The CDC website tracking respiratory variants has a definitive update as of November 27, 2023:

“What to know about BA.2.86

  • The virus that causes COVID-19 is constantly changing over time. Sometimes these changes allow new variants to spread more quickly or effectively. If that occurs, the new variant may become more common relative to other variants that are circulating.
  • Since CDC’s first post on BA.2.86 in August 2023, the proportion of infections caused by BA.2.86 has slowly increased. In the CDC Nowcast posted Nov. 27, 2023, BA.2.86 is projected to account for 5-15% of currently circulating variants.
  • CDC projects BA.2.86 and its offshoots like JN.1 will continue to increase as a proportion of SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequences.
  • At this time, BA.2.86 does not appear to be driving increases in infections or hospitalizations in the United States.
  • CDC contributed to and agrees with the World Health Organization’s recent risk assessment about BA.2.86 suggesting that the public health risk posed by this variant is low compared with other circulating variants, based on available limited evidence.
  • Updated COVID-19 vaccines are expected to increase protection against BA.2.86, as they do for other variants.
  • As mentioned in previous updates, COVID-19 tests and treatments are expected to be effective against this variant, including its offshoot JN.1.
  • It is not possible at this time to know whether BA.2.86 infection produces different symptoms from other variants. In general, symptoms of COVID-19 tend to be similar across variants. The types of symptoms and how severe they are usually depend more on a person’s immunity than which variant causes the infection.
  • Regardless of what variants happen, CDC will continue to track them, working closely with partners around the world to understand how they are spreading and how they respond to vaccines and treatments.”

CDC on How to Get Flu, Covid-19, and RSV Vaccines

The latest update on how to get the respiratory viruses vaccines is updated on the CDC website. Highlights:

  • “f you have insurance, these vaccines should be free to you in most cases.
  • Adults without health insurance or adults whose insurance doesn’t cover all COVID-19 vaccine costs can get an updated COVID-19 vaccine for free through the Bridge Access Program.
  • Most children can get recommended vaccines for free through their family’s insurance or the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program.
  • How COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed changed in September 2023 when these products moved to the commercial market, but there is still plenty of vaccine supply.
  • Flu, COVID-19, and RSV vaccines may be given at the same visit.”