LOS ANGELES, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- California, the most populous state of the United States, is among the states that have been hit hardest with "very high" flu levels, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said.
This is against the backdrop of a nationwide spike in influenza-related hospital admissions, which are nearly doubled from the week before, said the CDC in its latest report.
Visits to doctors' offices, urgent care and emergency rooms were the highest in the last decade, local ABC 7 news channel reported Monday, adding that in Los Angeles County, flu rates had reached 25 percent, a level not seen at this time of year in the past four years, and many patients were children.
The California Department of Public Health said at its weekly watching report on flu that the yearly winter flu season, which typically rolled around in December or January and peaked in Holiday season, kicked off early this year with greater force and infectiousness.
Hospitals throughout California reported that trifecta influx of flu, COVID-19 and Respiratory Syncytial Virus cases were putting an enormous strain on hospitals and causing concerns of potential bed shortages. Health officials encouraged the public with flu-like symptoms to get checked by their primary care physician first, if possible, before heading to the emergency room to avoid overcrowding.
The spike in hospital admissions has also prompted government officials to urge everyone to get a flu vaccine, saying prevention is the first defense against influenza and other respiratory illnesses.
The CDC recommends an annual flu vaccine for everyone over 6 months of age, noting that it is the best prevention against catching the flu and also prevents more serious outcomes if one does come down with the flu.
