12 INFECTIOUS DISEASE, DISASTER PLANNING & WOUND CARE | 2019 | www.elitecme.com I t still may be too early to say that this year’s flu season will be less severe than last year, but as of mid-January the most recent reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were finding a trend for the better. That is not to say that influenza hasn’t made a significant impact on the health of adults and children through- out the country however. As of ADVANCE’s press time, CDC officials were reporting that 6-7 million people have been sick with the flu thus far this season, up to half of whom have sought medical care for their illnesses, and that between 69,000 and 84,000 people have been hospitalized from the flu. Assessed by examining three key metrics: the levels of influenza-like-illness (ILI), flu hos- pitalization rates, and the percentage of deaths resulting from influenza (or pneumonia) that occurs during each flu season, severity is determined on an ongoing basis and could negatively trend as peak flu season progresses through February. By measuring the severity of influenza seasons, CDC officials can use key indicator data to guide public health actions, such as targeting prevention and treatment messages to appropriate audiences, and make recommendations designed to prevent flu illnesses and death. Preliminary in-season influenza burden estimates are available on a recurring basis by the CDC.1 Specifically, the most recent CDC severity findings include: • ILI is 3.5 percent, whereas last season ILI peaked at 7.5 percent. (Over the past five seasons, peak of ILI has ranged from 3.6 percent [2015-16] to 7.5 percent [2017-18], according to the CDC.) • The highest percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for flu at clini- cal laboratories this season was almost 17 percent during the week ending Dec. 29. Since laboratory data from clinical and public health laboratories was disaggre- gated three seasons ago, the peak percent of respiratory specimens testing positive Flu Season Update: Severity Down for 2018-19? By Rob Senior FLU UPDATE  | ISTOCK