This week’s report
View the current weekly flu report..
Highlights
- Influenza severity for Massachusetts has increased from moderate to high this week.
- The percentage of influenza-like illness visits for Massachusetts has increased and is higher than the previous two years in the same week.
- Overall influenza-like illness activity for Massachusetts remains high this week. The Inner Metro Boston region is reporting moderate ILI activity while all other regions are reporting high ILI activity.
- The percent of influenza-associated hospitalizations in Massachusetts has increased in recent weeks, but remains lower than the previous two years in the same week.
- In the 2019-2020 flu season, more influenza B than influenza A positive specimens have been reported by hospitals and outpatient facilities in Massachusetts.
- The number of influenza positive laboratory tests reported to MDPH increased this week by 31% compared to last week. The number of influenza A and influenza B positive laboratory tests reported to MDPH increased by 23% and 37%, respectively, compared to last week.
- All influenza strains that have been characterized in Massachusetts this season to date are covered by the current influenza vaccine.
- Nationally, influenza-like illness activity remains elevated and influenza B is most common, however, during recent weeks approximately equal numbers of influenza B and influenza A have been reported.
- There have been two confirmed case of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV in Wuhan, China) in the U.S. and no cases identified in Massachusetts. For the most up to date information on the Wuhan virus please visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.
- Additional statewide and national data including geographic spread, ILI activity, and pneumonia and influenza mortality are available at CDC’s FluView Weekly Report at https://www.cdc.gov/fluview/index.html and FluView Interactive https://www.cdc.gov/fluview/overview/fluview-interactive.html.
Flu activity remains elevated. It’s not too late to get vaccinated.
Flu vaccination is always the best way to prevent flu and its potentially serious complications.
Additional Resources
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Open DOC file, 393.5 KB, Weekly Flu Report, January 24, 2020 (Accessible) (English, DOC 393.5 KB)
Date published: | January 24, 2020 |
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