U.S. Flu continues to spread across the country, infecting millions, CDC reports

Flu came early to the U.S. and 'the floodgates are open' “People don’t have a good appreciation for how severe flu can be,” said the CDC’s influenza expert. Nearly 3,000 deaths from influenza have been reported since October. NBC News

The floodgates have opened on flu, with millions of people across the U.S. reporting illness and nearly 3,000 deaths from influenza since the beginning of October, according to the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

With the start of the holiday season and large family gatherings, cases are expected to keep rising.

“We are likely to see an increase in the upcoming weeks,” Lynnette Brammer, an epidemiologist and team lead of CDC’s domestic influenza surveillance team, told NBC News. ...

ALSO SEE: Flu season continues to intensify in the US, and holiday gatherings could make it worse

...In the week ending November 19, nearly 1 in 10 deaths nationwide (9.4%) was due to pneumonia, influenza or Covid-19 – well above the seasonal baseline of about 6%. And the CDC estimates that there have been at least 6.2 million illnesses, 53,000 hospitalizations and 2,900 deaths from influenza this season. 

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