2018 Flu Season Worse Than Last Year: Widespread in 36 States

NBC Nightly News reported on Saturday that “the CDC says this flu season is already shaping up to be a lot worse than last [season’s], with widespread flu activity now being reported in dozens of states.” NBC Nightly News reported that flu is widespread in 36 states, according to the CDC. The Hill (12/30, Delk) reported the CDC has predicted that flu activity will peak before the end of this month. Modern Healthcare (12/29, Johnson, Subscription Publication) reported the CDC issued an alert warning health care professionals of an uptick in cases caused by the H3N2 strain of the flu virus, “which is usually associated with a higher number of hospital admissions and flu-related deaths.” Newsweek (12/29, Sheridan) reported the current flu season has been particularly harsh in the South, according to CDC data.