The "super flu" causing an unprecedented spike in flu cases
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Central Ohio is experiencing a massive surge in flu cases this winter, many of them attributed to the so-called "super flu."
Why it matters: An unprecedented rise in flu cases comes as other sicknesses — such as the "winter vomiting bug," COVID and whooping cough — are slamming the country this winter.
- It also arrives as chaos has enveloped the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with many questions about vaccination schedules for children.
Driving the news: Cases of the flu remain elevated nationwide, according to the CDC.
- Last week, CDC data showed at least 7.5 million illnesses, 81,000 hospitalizations and 3,100 deaths from the flu so far this season.
- Many of these cases have been tied to "subclade K" — a variant of the H3N2 virus, which is a subtype of influenza A.
Experts and patients say subclade K is an example of the "super flu," referring to a strain that spreads quickly and rapidly, becoming more troublesome.
Zoom in: Ohio's flu cases are spiking earlier than this time last year.
- As of the most recent state data from Dec. 27, Ohio had reported 3,260 flu hospitalizations this season, up from 1,438 a year ago.
- Local hospitals are reporting a higher volume of patients than expected, and a 16-year-old died from the flu in Greene County.
Zoom out: Cases are raging coast to coast.
- New York saw its highest number of positive flu cases ever reported in a single week, Connecticut has seen cases climb "to highest levels doctors have ever seen," and cases have increased to a "scary" degree in California.
Reality check: Although subclade K is being associated with the term, there isn't an official "super flu."
- The term emerges every so often, typically when there's a more severe than usual strain of the flu circulating, experts say.
- The most recent CDC tracking data shows that nearly 90% of new flu cases in the country were from subclade K.
What they're saying: "Super flu" is "a sensationalistic term that doesn't really have any medical meaning," Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease physician at Johns Hopkins University, told Axios.
The bottom line: Andrew Pekosz, a virologist at Johns Hopkins University, recommends getting a flu shot for those who haven't.