Flu season in New York City is not quietly fading away. The city has recorded more than 146,000 laboratory-confirmed flu cases so far this respiratory season, and the week ending Feb. 7 brought in over 1,700 lab-reported infections, the first weekly uptick since late December. The bump was small but notable after several weeks of decline, prompting health officials to remind New Yorkers that the season is still very much in play.
City data and what changed
According to the city's latest release, the season-to-date total has now climbed past 146,000 cases, with children under 18 making up roughly 52 percent of reported infections. Emergency department visits and hospitalizations with flu diagnoses remain well under 0.5 percent of all visits, and the Health Department has confirmed four pediatric flu deaths this season, per a press release from the NYC Health Department. Local coverage from the Brooklyn Eagle highlighted the update on Feb. 13.
How this compares nationally
Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that seasonal influenza activity remains elevated in many parts of the country and continues to cause substantial illness and hospitalizations this season. The agency’s weekly FluView report tracks estimates of illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths, and shows that influenza A(H3N2) has been the dominant virus in many regions; see CDC FluView for details.
Who's being hit hardest
“Although the uptick in flu cases this week has been small, it serves as good reminder for all New Yorkers that flu season isn’t over,” Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse said in the department’s Feb. 12 release. The Health Department also noted that RSV remains elevated among children under 5 and that COVID-19 activity is low but has ticked up slightly. Officials said the city’s Respiratory Illness Data Page will continue to be updated weekly with new figures.
What to do now
The Health Department is urging New Yorkers to get vaccinated, noting that vaccines are available from hundreds of providers across the five boroughs, and to stay home when sick to help limit spread. For people who do come down with the flu, antiviral drugs work best when started early; clinical guidance from the CDC recommends prompt treatment for hospitalized patients and those at higher risk of complications.
