Doctors' visits for flu continuing to reach record levels: CDC
The rate of Americans visiting doctors' offices for flu-like illness continues to reach record levels, new federal data published on Friday shows.
Nearly 8% of outpatient visits for respiratory illness during the week ending Feb. 8 were for flu-like illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
This continues to be the highest level seen since at least 2009, during the swine flu pandemic.
During the same week, 7.9% of emergency department visits were due to flu compared with 3.2% the same time last year, according to the CDC data.
About 31.6% of tests came back positive for flu during the week ending Feb. 8, compared to a peak of 18.2% last season, the data showed.
Data also showed that flu deaths continue to surpass COVID deaths, which occurred last week for the first time since the pandemic started.
The CDC estimates there have been at least 29 million illnesses, 370,000 hospitalizations and 16,000 deaths from flu so far this season
At least 68 pediatric flu deaths have been reported so far, with 11 reported the week ending Feb. 8.
It comes as overall respiratory illness activity is listed as "high" nationwide; CDC data shows.
As of Friday, 12 states are listed as having "very high" levels of respiratory virus activity and 20 states are listed as "high." The remaining states are listed as having "moderate" or "low" levels.
February has historically been the month where flu season peaks most often, with experts saying elevated activity will likely continue in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, although COVID-19 activity is "elevated" in many areas of the U.S., CDC data shows emergency department visits are at low levels and the number of laboratory tests coming back positive is stable.
Respiratory syncytial virus activity was also described as "elevated" but declining in most areas of the U.S., according to the CDC.
Public health experts have recommended children and adults receive the flu and COVID vaccine as well as older adults receive the RSV vaccine, but coverage is "low," according to the CDC.
As of Feb 1, only 45% of adults were vaccinated against the flu and 22.6% were vaccinated with the updated 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccine. Additionally, just 46% of adults ages 75 and older have received the RSV vaccine, according to CDC data.
Nearly half of all children are vaccinated against the flu at 45.7%, but just 11.9% have received the updated COVID-19 vaccine.
ABC News' Mary Kekatos contributed to this report.
