Preparing and prevention as flu season picks up early amidst new virus strand.
By Dakota Gold
Staff Writer
News
Flu season kicks off early this year with a new strand of the H1N1 influenza A. States along the West Coast are noting high numbers of positive tests months earlier than normal.
According to data from the Washington state Department of Public Health, about one in ten people tested positive for the flu in the middle of Oct. These numbers are usually common in Jan. at the peak of flu season.
For California, the past two flu seasons held an influenza test positivity of about 1% in early Oct. This year on Oct. 10, the positivity rate is at 9.65% according to the California state Department of Health.
Dr. Alex Greninger, head of the Division of Infectious Disease Diagnostics at the University of Washington’s Department of Laboratory Medicine, analyzed the new statistics.
“Nationally, about 2.1% of doctor visits last week were for influenza-like illness, a rough measure of the misery that flu symptoms like fever and cough are causing across the country,” Greninger said in an interview with CNN.
He said that the statistic is still below the national baseline according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), so this variant has not taken off across the country as of yet.
Dr. Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist and director of the Center for Outbreak Response Innovation at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said that flu tests coming back positive in the region of the country that includes Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada (Region 9) reached 10% the week of Oct. 18. The South is quickly catching up to those numbers.
“Emergency department visits for influenza are 1.0% in both regions. This is dramatically higher than the same week last year when activity was 0.3% and 0.1% respectively. In fact, ED visits are approximately six weeks ahead of last year. The South has also now passed the West for influenza hospitalization rates,” Rivers said.
Greninger said this influenza hitting the Pacific west came from Asia. The H1N1 virus was responsible for a pandemic in 2009, but it has since obtained a mutation that aids it in eluding immunity.
This mutation appeared after strains were selected for this year’s flu shot. Therefore, the current vaccine targets a version of H1N1, offering some protection, but the mutation has a chance to break through.
The FDA approved the 2026-27 flu vaccines in Aug. that target the previous H1N1, H3N2 and one influenza B virus.
Dr. Andrew Pekosz is the vice chair of the W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He also serves as co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center of Excellence in Influenza Research and Response.
“Those mutations allow for it to escape from some immunity in the population. However, data suggests that this year’s influenza vaccine can recognize this variant, so the immune escape is only partial, or rather incomplete,” Pekosz said during a media briefing on Oct. 29.
Researchers, health professionals and health organizations are recommending people to get vaccinated early.
“Everyone 6 months and older should get an annual flu vaccine, ideally by the end of October, but people should continue to get vaccinated as long as flu viruses pose a threat to their community,” the CDC said.
They recommend getting a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important action in reducing risk and to help reduce hospitalizations and deaths due to the flu each year.
Other preventative actions the CDC recommends include avoiding close contact with those who are sick, staying home for at least 24 hours after a fever is gone, covering coughs and sneezes and washing hands frequently.
According to the CDC, flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. If sick with the flu, antiviral drugs can be prescribed by a doctor.
“Studies show that flu antiviral drugs work best for treatment when they are started within 2 days of getting sick […] If you are at higher risk of severe flu illness and get flu symptoms, call your health care provider early so you can be treated with flu antivirals if needed,” the CDC said.
You can visit cdc.gov for additional information.
