"For many people, the winter holiday period is their favorite time of the year. It's weeks full of family, friends, gifts, and cozy indoor get-togethers. But those social gatherings are among the main reasons why the flu spreads so readily at this time of year. And this year, a so-called "superflu" variant known as subclade K is set to make things even worse. Here's what you need to know."
"Flu season is officially in full swing. It's the time of year when flu viruses are most rampant, and infections tend to spike before finally decreasing and leveling off. Most people know that flu season usually occurs in the winter months, but the period actually lasts for longer. According to the Cleveland Clinic, in the northern hemisphere, the flu season starts in October. However, its worst period encompasses December to February, which is when the highest number of cases occur."
"As CNN reports, health professionals often use the "epidemic threshold" to measure when flu season is underway. When that threshold, which measures the percentage of visits to a healthcare provider for respiratory illness, rises above 3.1%, flu season is here. And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States passed that threshold last week when it hit 3.2%."
Winter holiday gatherings increase influenza transmission through close indoor contact. Flu season in the northern hemisphere runs from October, peaks December–February, and typically wanes by May. Health professionals use an "epidemic threshold"—3.1% of healthcare visits for respiratory illness—to mark flu season; the United States recently exceeded that threshold at 3.2%. The dominant circulating virus is H3N2. A newly emerged H3N2 variant called subclade K carries enough genetic mutations to be materially different from reference strains, and is expected to drive higher case counts in the coming weeks.
Read at Fast Company
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