September 20, 2022 – Each week, we will compile the latest data regarding flu and COVID-19 cases in the United States. As things change, we hope that this information will paint a better picture of what to look for in emerging COVID variant and in the upcoming flu season.
According to the CDC’s Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report, there have been 279 positive influenza specimens out of a total of 40,698 specimens tested in clinical laboratories. Influenza A makes up 263 of those cases, while Influenza B makes up 16 of the cases. The data from clinical laboratories are used to monitor whether flu activity is increasing or decreasing.
The CDC’s COVID-19 tracker reports that there are a daily average of 59,856 new cases and a daily average of 4,371 new hospitalizations as of September 14. The positive cases have decreased 15.9% from the previous 7-day moving average (86,853). The CDC says that there are several “lineages of omicron and within each are multiple sublineages.” The most dominant strain is now BA.5, projected at 84.8%.
On September 1, the CDC recommended that everyone over the age of 12 get an updated COVID-19 booster before any potential COVID surges later this fall and winter. The updated doses will help restore protection that might have gone down since your last dose, as well as provide extra protection against the most recent variants.