Flu Season In Full Swing In MA

BOSTON — Flu season is underway, and all regions of the country including New England have seen elevated levels of the illness. Federal health officials say there have already been at least 6.4 million cases of influenza, resulting in 55,000 hospitalizations and 2,900 deaths in the 2019-20 season.

So far, most cases are the result of the influenza B/Victoria viruses, which is unusual for this time of year, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The next most-common strain in circulation is the A/H1N1, and it’s increasing in proportion relative to other influenza viruses in some regions.

The latest data from the agency — current as of the week ending Dec. 28 — shows that the virus is widespread in all but four states and other jurisdictions, and that Massachusetts is one of the states with widespread activity.

In its latest weekly report, the state health department said the incidence of "influenza-like activity," which is defined as fever above 100 degrees F in addition to cough and/or sore throat, increased sharply last week, from about 2 percent of all outpatient visits to 3.77 percent. Hospitalizations for flu also increased, the department said, though they were not as high as at the same point in previous flu seasons.

The department did not provide numbers of actual flu cases.

The flu can lead to serious illness, hospitalization and death. The groups most at risk are older adults, very young children, pregnant women and those with certain chronic medical conditions, according to the CDC.

According to the CDC, symptoms of the flu include:

• Fever or feeling feverish/chills (though not everyone with flu will have a fever)
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Muscle or body aches
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.