Ohio among states with high flu activity
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Ohio is one of 36 states where flu activity is high or very high, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Why it matters: The spread of influenza A, COVID and RSV is prevalent across much of the U.S. at the same time norovirus cases are well above normal levels, CDC data shows.
- The result is a "quad-demic" of illness hitting simultaneously in what's shaping up to be a more active virus season than last year.
Threat level: The simultaneous viruses are straining some hospitals to capacity and leading administrators to recommend masking among staff, ABC News reports.
- The surge follows what was a slow start to the respiratory virus season.
What they're saying: "Predictions for this respiratory virus season were that we would see peak January 1 and that it would likely mirror previous respiratory virus seasons," Saskia Popescu, a member of APIC's Emerging Infectious Diseases Task Force, told Axios.
- "We're obviously seeing it peak a little bit later."
The big picture: Flu activity for the week ending Jan. 18 was "very high" in 14 states, the CDC's tracking of outpatient visits to health care providers for influenza-like illness.
- Ohio was in the next tier of "high" states, alongside neighboring Pennsylvania and Indiana.
Worthy of your time: The Ohio Department of Health's website has tips for preventing the flu and a list of vaccine locations.
Go deeper: Virus season roars back with "quad-demic" of illness