What Made 2018 Flu Season So Deadly?

The above question is what has been playing on the minds of many people since the number of deaths from this year's flu season started getting higher than usual. The flu has also restricted many to their beds. Fallouts from the outbreak in 2018 have many people on the edge.

How did things get so bad this time? Why are more people dying as a result of the flu season? Read on to find out.

The 2018 Flu Season

Flu seasons are by no means new phenomena. It is something that you'd ordinarily expect to happen every year. But what you may not know is that the same influenza strain is not responsible for flu every year. Different types are seen.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, the most prevalent flu virus strain making the rounds this year is the influenza A-H3N2. But there are also reports that the H1N1 flu strain also plays a part in the outbreak in certain areas.

It has been observed that more people are usually affected by the flu when H3 viruses are the dominant strains. This partly explains why there are more hospitalizations and deaths this year. The H3 viruses were dominant during the awful 2014-15 flu season, which saw roughly 34 million people affected.

Why Is The Flu So Bad?

The 2018 flu season is the worst seen in recent years, going by different indicators used by the CDC [1]. These include influenza-related hospitalizations, pediatric deaths, and geographic spread. For the week ending Feb. 3, 2018, only the proportion of outpatient visits for what the U.S. government agency calls "influenza-like illness (ILI)" was slightly lower than the level seen during the 2009 H1N1 flu season.

As we already pointed out, the strain of flu virus that is prevalent this year plays a critical role in the severity. But that's not just the only reason. This is without doubt the most widespread flu outbreak in the U.S. since the CDC started taking records.

Usually, different parts of the U.S. tend to have the flu season at different times. It is different this time: it occurs almost at the same time across the country. The entire continental U.S. is affected. There are people affected in virtually all states – even the U.S. Virgin Islands are not exempted.

The fact that the flu affects many parts of the U.S. at the same time is certainly a reason why it appears to be worse than other years.

The current flu season also started before the holidays. Experts think this may have been a factor in how widespread it has become. This is considering the increased social activities and gatherings usually seen during the holidays.

Who Are Most Affected?

In seasons with dominant H3 virus strains, the elderly and young children tend to be worst hit. The story is not different this year. These groups typically have weaker immune systems, compared to healthy young adults.

Although there are no official figures on the number of adult deaths, older individuals are believed to be feeling the heat the most. Majority of deaths have occurred among those over age 65, according to a report by USA Today [2].

A reason that has been proffered for this is that the Baby Boomers weren't exposed to the current strains as children. So, they are less equipped to fight it. Vaccination is also less common among adults.

The Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report for the week ending Feb. 3 showed there were 63 pediatric deaths. Latest reports, as of Feb. 10, indicate that number has now risen to at least 84 deaths.

The number of child deaths is still lower than the 148 recorded during the 2014-2015 season. But it's still rising.

However, not only older people and young children are dying from the flu this year. There are reports of young, healthy adults dying as well. These may be the result of complications.

The flu was reportedly killing up to 4,000 people in the U.S. per week, going by CDC data for the third week of the year. Of the 40,414 deaths reported for the week, 4,064 were as a result of influenza or pneumonia.

How About Vaccine Efficacy?

Every year, there are flu shots available for protection against the flu. These are usually worked on to be suitable for combating prevalent flu virus strains each time. Yet, these vaccines aren't always effective, but you will be better off taking them.

There is huge debate over the efficacy of vaccines available for the 2018 flu season. While some complain of low effectiveness, others seem to suggest that the shot could contribute to the flu. But the CDC says it is actually working better than was expected.

An official of the agency had put efficacy against the H3N2 strain at about 25 percent. However, preliminary analysis by the CDC showed the efficacy rate among children is around 51 percent (up to 59 percent). It is estimated that overall effectiveness is 39 percent.

People who haven't gotten the flu shot are advised to do so without wasting time. A recent study by the CDC showed that majority of the young people who succumbed to flu death between 2010 and 2016 failed to get the flu shots in the year they died.

The flu vaccines may also offer protection against Influenza B virus strains that often appear at the tail end of the season.

When Will the Flu Season End?

With the different problems it has brought along, many people cannot wait for the 2018 flu season to end. So, when is that likely to happen?

There is really no clear answer as to when this whole thing will die down. The CDC notes that flu activity typically reaches its peak between December and February. It added, however, that this can extend into March. And that's talking about the peek.

It potentially means we have several more weeks before the end of this year's flu season. The exact number of weeks is not known.

You may find it cheering to know, though, that the latest report from the CDC hints that the flu season may have already reached its peak for this year.

How Can You Protect Yourself?

If you do not have the flu yet, you should take proactive steps to guard against it. The first thing you probably need to do right now is to get vaccinated, if you haven't. Vaccine can still help, even though it may take some time to kick in. Aside from protecting you, it may also protect your loved ones by keeping you from becoming a carrier.

You should also take hygiene practices more seriously. Wash your hands frequently. Endeavor to promptly clean surfaces you feel may have collected flu viruses – these can survive on such for up to 24 hours.

If somehow you found you have the flu, endeavor to stay at home. You will be protecting others by so doing. Also, make sure to cover your mouth when sneezing or coughing.

These precautions can make a difference in keeping the flu season from getting worse or lasting for much longer.

REFERENCES

Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report | Seasonal Influenza (Flu) | CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm)
This flu season is the worst in nearly a decade (https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/02/09/flu-season-deaths-increase/322928002/)

Why Is Flu Season 2018 So Deadly? (https://www.thecut.com/2018/01/flu-season-2018-deaths-peak.html)

Why Is the Flu So Bad This Year? | Time (http://time.com/5105929/why-is-the-flu-so-bad-2018/)

How bad this flu season really is—and what you should do about it | Popular Science (https://www.popsci.com/how-bad-flu-season-2018)

The Flu Vaccine Is Working Better Than Expected, C.D.C. Finds - The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/15/health/flu-vaccine-effectiveness.html)

Children’s deaths from flu rise sharply amid signs that season may be hitting plateau - The Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2018/02/16/childrens-deaths-from-flu-climb-sharply-cdc-reports/)

The Flu is Killing Up to 4,000 Americans a Week | Fortune (http://fortune.com/2018/02/10/american-flu-deaths/)