Experts warn of a "severe" flu season due to concerns about a new strain.

 

According to statistics provided on Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the US flu season has started slowly, but medical professionals are worried about the appearance of a new virus strain.

Current immunizations may still be moderately effective against this new variant, which is causing recent cases, according to an early analysis. However, failing immunization rates are a greater concern for many scientists and medical experts.


Last winter was one of the worst seasons of the century due to the exceptionally high number of flu hospitalizations and fatalities, which were mostly caused by these low rates.

Asefeh Faraz Covelli of the George Washington University School of Nursing stated, "I think we're going to see a really severe season."

The overall rate of hospitalizations due to the flu last winter was the highest since the H1N1 pandemic fifteen years ago. Over 18,000 deaths were caused by the flu, or it was a contributing factor in over 1,800 deaths during a seven-day period early this year. This was the biggest one-week rise in at least ten years. Additionally, the number of child flu deaths was far greater than normal.