Shoo, flu!
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The worst flu season in 15 years has left hundreds of thousands of Americans hospitalized while straining physicians' offices and emergency departments.
Why it matters: The virus is causing more severe complications and hitting young children especially hard.
Zoom in: Arizona — and nearly every other state — is reporting "high" flu activity according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
The big picture: Nationwide, There have been at least 370,000 hospitalizations, and 16,000 deaths from flu as of Feb. 8, per the CDC. That's on pace to surpass the previous high recorded during the 2017-2018 flu season.
- "It's lots of more severe illnesses. Of the adults that are being hospitalized, most of them are having pneumonia and requiring intubation and ventilation," McLay said.
The bottom line: There are a lot of respiratory viruses still going around this season. If you haven't gotten the vaccine yet, it'd still be prudent to get one, experts urge.