NEWS Health News ANALYSIS Flu By the Numbers: June 3, 2022 By Team Verywell Health Updated on June 04, 2022 Fact checked Verywell Health content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. We rely on the most current and reputable sources, which are cited in the text and listed at the bottom of each article. Content is fact checked after it has been edited and before publication. Learn more. by Angela Underwood Fact checked by Angela Underwood LinkedIn Angela Underwood's extensive local, state, and federal healthcare and environmental news coverage includes 911 first-responder compensation policy to the Ciba-Geigy water contamination case in Toms River, NJ. Her additional health-related coverage includes death and dying, skin care, and autism spectrum disorder. Learn about our editorial process Share Tweet Email Print Natalie_ / Getty Images During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suspended data collection and assessment of influenza cases in the United States for the 2020-2021 flu season. As a result, current statistics may not capture the full picture of flu activities. For example, the cases and deaths might be undercounted, and data from some states might be inconsistent or delayed. In any flu season, the data that gets reported by the CDC each week is always preliminary and it can change as new information becomes available. As of June 3, 2022, the CDC reported increasing influenza-like illness (ILI) activity in most of the United States. At the end of the week of May 28, flu activity is varied throughout the country. The number of people seeking care for or being hospitalized with respiratory illness has been going up in recent weeks. The flu is responsible for some of these cases. Other respiratory viruses are also going around and making people sick. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Clinical laboratories in the U.S. tested 57,383 specimens for flu viruses, of which 5.7% were positive. Among the positive results, 99.4% were for influenza A. Public health laboratories in the U.S. also reported data about specimen testing to the CDC. Of the 13,172 samples tested, 240 were positive for the flu. Influenza A accounted for 100% of positive flu cases. 2021-2022 Flu Season On March 4, 2022, the CDC published the first data on the 2021-2022 flu season in the United States. The report gives a very early look at the burden of flu illness in the U.S. Here are the estimates that the CDC has made so far: Flu illnesses: 7,400,000 to 12,000,000 Flu hospitalizations: 76,000 to 150,000 Flu deaths: 4,700 to 14,000 As more data is gathered and analyzed, the conclusions that the CDC makes about it may change. The Different Strains of The Flu Influenza patterns vary according to the specific flu virus strains that are circulating in a given year, as well as human behavior. For example, some of the changes that the pandemic brought about—such as mask wearing and social distancing—slowed down the flu spread last year. Another factor that affects flu patterns is vaccination. Annual flu vaccines are a safe and effective way to help curb the spread of the flu and to prevent hospitalizations and deaths. Flu Vaccine Doses Given As of December 17, the CDC reports that more than 174 million flu vaccine doses have been distributed in the U.S. What Information Do States Report? The CDC tracks LIL activity levels in each state and presents a weekly flu surveillance report. LIL activity levels are defined as the following: Minimal (levels 1-3)Low (levels 4-5)Moderate (levels 6-7)High (levels 8-10)Very High (levels 11-13) State health departments track flu data provided by hospitals, clinics, clinical laboratories, and healthcare organizations. These reports can include information like the number of flu tests conducted, positivity rates, and the number of flu-like illnesses that providers saw in the patients they treated. Why Are Some Flu Seasons Worse Than Others? What Can The Data Tell Me About Flu Activities In My State? Data on ILI activity can give you a sense of how many people have respiratory symptoms in your state. If the activity level is high in your area, it could mean that the flu is "going around" in your community. You can be more cautious and take preventive steps, such as washing your hands frequently and getting a flu shot, to help reduce veryour risk of getting sick. If you're showing flu-like symptoms yourself, call your physician to see if you should go in for a test. In the meantime, you can take antiviral medications such as Tamiflu to help lessen your symptoms. You can wear a mask and avoid close social contact to stop the spread. How Is Flu Data Different From COVID-19 Data? The flu and COVID-19 are different, though they do have similar symptoms that can make it hard to tell them apart. One of the key ways that we can keep track of all the data is by testing people who have symptoms to find out if they have the flu, COVID, or another kind of respiratory illness. Clinical labs (like those used by doctor's offices and hospitals) and public health departments both test specimens to look for signs of the flu, but each has a different goal. Clinical labs are more geared toward providing a flu diagnosis (or ruling out the flu) while public health labs are looking at the larger trends in flu illness—for example, which subtypes of the flu are circulating and how quickly cases of the flu are growing in different places and among different groups of people. Public health departments often test samples that were already tested in clinical labs to look for a diagnosis, which is why the CDC tracks specimens tested by each type of lab separately to make sure that the numbers are not duplicated (if they were, it could make it seem like there is more flu activity in a community than there really is). Some specimens tested for the flu might also be tested for COVID at the same time, or, if the flu test is negative, a person might need a COVID test next. This will probably be more common in the winter months when both types of viruses end up circulating at the same time. Eventually, we may reach a point where we have a recurring "COVID season" like the annual flu season. For now, public health authorities are trying to follow both illnesses as they move through communities and report the data separately. COVID and The Flu Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit 1 Source Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2021-2022 U.S. Flu Season: Preliminary In-Season Burden Estimates. Updated March 4, 2022.