COVID-19 and flu infections are expected to surge in the upcoming weeks due to a combination of holiday gatherings, a new coronavirus variant known as JN.1 and the high percentage of the population that remains unvaccinated, health officials said Friday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a rise in flu-like illnesses in 17 states last week, compared to 14 the previous week.
In the past four weeks, hospitalizations for all ages increased by 200% for the flu, 60% for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and 51% for COVID-19, the agency said.
Part of the uptick is due to the “rapidly increasing” JN.1 coronavirus variant, which has recently been dominating the Northeast.
The omicron subtype is now responsible for approximately one-third of all new COVID cases in the region, and an estimated 20% of new cases across the country, health officials say.
But scientists expect that percentage to increase to 50% in the next two weeks, as the JN.1 variant appears to be more adept at evading the immune system.
Although the variant is proving to be more contagious, it doesn’t present more dangerous or severe symptoms, according to health officials. Current evidence also shows that vaccines and antiviral medications remain effective against it.
The existing flu vaccines are also expected to be highly effective against flu strains, which are causing the most illnesses this season.
But the fight against their spread is being hindered by low vaccination numbers, adds the CDC.
Flu vaccinations are down 3% from this same time last year, and only 18% of Americans have received the updated COVID-19 vaccine that was released in September.
Additionally, only 17% of adults 60 and over have received new shots for RSV, which causes mild symptoms but poses risks for infants and the elderly.
The Carolinas are reporting a high surge in respiratory infections that some emergency patients are waiting days to get a hospital bed, said Dr. Scott Curry, an infectious disease specialist at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.
In response to the concerning trends, the CDC issued a health alert to U.S. doctors urging vaccination against these viruses.
With News Wire Services
