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As the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus continues to cause concern for health officials, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an alert advising that the flu is back in full force after taking a back seat to the pandemic last winter.
In Connecticut, according to the most recent report from the Department of Public Health, there are currently 1,265 patients admitted in state hospitals with influenza, up more than 200 from the previous update.
Since the beginning of October, the Department of Health has tested 690,539 for influenza, which resulted in more than 13,000 positive cases for a 1.9 percent positive infection rate.
Of those cases, 12,641 were positive for Influenza A while 429 were positive for the less common Influenza B.
The Department of Health estimates that flu has resulted in between 9.2 million and 35.6 million illnesses each year in the United States and several deaths. Of those illnesses, an estimated 9 percent were hospitalized.
According to the CDC, the flu infects the respiratory tract. “As the infection progresses, the body’s immune system responds to fight the virus.
"This results in inflammation that can trigger respiratory symptoms such as a cough and sore throat. The immune system response can also trigger fever and cause muscle or body aches.
"When an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks, they can spread influenza viruses in respiratory droplets to people who are nearby.
"People might also get flu by touching a contaminated surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching their own mouth or nose.”
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