Officials at the California Department of Public Health confirmed on Tuesday that a mutated influenza strain dubbed the “super flu” is spreading in California.
The news came as the CDPH confirmed a second pediatric death related to the flu since the start of the respiratory virus season. The “super flu” strain is a mutated type of seasonal influenza A called H3N2 subclade K and has spread globally.
Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease expert at UC San Francisco, said people infected with the mutated strain will likely get common flu symptoms, such as body aches, fever, cough and headache.
“I think this particular strain makes people feel pretty horrible,” Gandhi told SFGATE. “And the reason that subclade K is important is it may not be covered by the current flu vaccine.”
Flu activity in the state has come down slightly from a season high at the end of December, with about 15% of flu tests coming back positive in the state as of Jan. 3. That’s down from the 17% rate seen through Dec. 27.
Hospitalizations for the flu, however, have been on the rise and hit a season high with approximately 3.8 admissions per 100,000 in the state as of Jan. 3.
Gandhi said flu activity often peaks after holiday periods when people return home from traveling.
“It may start rising in California now, because people were sick when they went places … and there needs to be an incubation period,” she said.
The best way to avoid the flu is to get the flu shot, which can provide important protection. Even when the vaccine isn’t a perfect match for the most prevalent strain, such as with the “super flu,” it can still drastically reduce the risk of developing dangerous symptoms.
“Current seasonal flu vaccines remain effective at reducing severe illness and hospitalization, including the currently circulating viruses,” Dr. Erica Pan, CDPH director and state public health officer, said in a statement. “It is important for families to know that flu vaccines, tests, and treatments remain widely available for all Californians and that it is not too late to get a flu vaccine.”
‘Super flu’ hits highest level in US in 25 years — with New York breaking hospitalization records
This year’s flu season is marked by the new “super flu” variant, and it’s certainly living up to its name.
The US is experiencing its highest infection rate in nearly three decades, according to flu statistics released by the CDC on Monday, with all but four states reporting increased levels of illness as the new virus strain subclade K continues to spread.
And New York is among the hardest hit: The state saw the highest number of flu hospitalizations recorded in a single week between Friday, Dec. 26, and Friday, Jan. 2.
In the last week of December, the country saw a whopping 33% increase in positive flu tests.
And more than 8% of trips to the doctor were for sore throats and severe coughs — two trademark symptoms of this latest virus — up from last year’s number of 6.7%.
The number of sick people steadily increased throughout the holiday season and even started showing alarming numbers back in November, when subclade K was responsible for more than half of US flu cases.
But experts warn that we haven’t even hit the peak yet, as influenza “continues to increase across the country,” the CDC said Monday.
As of Dec. 27, 30 states from all regions have moved into the CDC’s highest tier of flu activity. Before the peak holiday season, only six states were considered to have high flu activity.
States on the East Coast, including Maine and New York, in the Midwest and the South all saw drastic spikes in only two weeks, between Dec. 13 and Dec. 27. Montana and Vermont were the two states with the lowest flu rates.
Outbreaks were also reported in Canada, the United Kingdom and Japan, which saw over 6,000 cases and several hospitalizations of children.
Meanwhile, hospitalizations are at their highest since 2010, with experts worried the numbers will get worse as more people get sick.
“These viruses are serious, dangerous and life-threatening,” Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein said in a news release. “We are seeing children who are seriously ill, families grieving devastating losses and hospitals under capacity strain.”
What’s going on in New York?
That last week of December into early January, the New York Department of Health reported 4,546 hospitalizations across the state — a massive increase from the week prior.
“Almost 1,000 more people were admitted to a hospital during this most recent seven-day period compared to the prior week,” said New York’s Commissioner of Health Dr. James McDonald.
The week before that had already seen more people visit the ER for flu symptoms than any other week in the previous 10 years.
“There is still time to get a flu shot,” McDonald added, “and remember, flu can be treated with antiviral medication if started within 48 hours of symptom onset [as] your doctor deems appropriate.”
Why are cases so high?
Fewer people are getting vaccinated, according to CDC data, as public distrust continues to grow, especially under the US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Only around 48 million adults have gotten a flu shot this year, down from the nearly 61 million back in the 2019-2020 flu season.
Vaccinations have particularly decreased for children, down by 11% from the 2020 flu season, with only 42% receiving a shot.
This data was published the same day HHS announced modified childhood vaccine schedules, with the recommendation that kids get flu vaccines after a consultation with a doctor.
But the vaccine is also proving less effective this season. That’s because every year, the flu mutates. Production of the vaccine begins six to nine months in advance, and it’s based on data and scientific predictions — but sometimes, those predictions fall short.
Usually, flu shots are 40% to 60% effective. This year, estimates are that it’s only 32% to 39% effective in adults. Fortunately, it’s fairing better in children, with 72% to 75% efficacy.
The dominant flu strain, subclade K, a mutation of H3N2, is “not very well-aligned with the vaccine this year, which means there is potentially a larger proportion of the population that is susceptible to the flu,” said Neil Maniar, director of the public health master’s program at Northeastern University.
However, experts continue to recommend flu shots and stress that it’s not too late.
“We’re really at the beginning of the influenza season here in the US,” Dr. Andrew Pekosz, a virologist and professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said during a media briefing in December.
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