With influenza rearing its ugly head, the U.S. is seeing the highest-ever rate of adult hospitalization in the last decade per a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The report reveals that from October 2014, the number of adults aged over 65 years or more have seen an increase in hospitalization owing to flu. The rate of hospitalizations is 258 for every 100,000 people as of Feb. 21. This figure has surpassed previous highest rate which stood at 183 hospitalizations per 100,000 people who were 75 years or older in 2012 to 2013.
By comparison, the rate of flu hospitalizations as of Feb. 21 for individuals younger than 5 years old was 46 for every 100,000. Those aged between 18 years to 49 years had the 15 per 100,000 rate.
Per the report, when considering the U.S. population in its entirety, the rate of hospitalization due to flu is 52 for every 100,000 people. Thus number is higher than the previous three seasons of flu. The CDC has been compiling the data since 2005.
According to the CDC's March 6 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, not only did the flu hospitalizations of the elderly see a record number, but researchers reveal that "this age group also accounts for the majority of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza."
It is alarming that nearly 60 percent of the hospitalizations due to flu attributes to the 65 years or older age group. Worse still, 79 percent of the deaths due to pneumonia or flu accounts to this age group.
The elderly are not the only ones affected by the flu; nearly 92 children have died because of flu complications as of Feb. 21. By comparison, the child deaths can vary between 30 to 170 deaths.
According to Dr. Michael Jhung, the elderly could likely be more prone to flu because of the presence of the H3N2 strain.
"We are seeing more serious illness in elderly folks this year, even more so than in 2012-2013," said Jhung. "That happens every time we have an H3N2 year, and this year happens to be the worst we've seen."
Another reason for the elderly being more susceptible and hospitalized due to flu could be due to the fact that the vaccine this year is not well-matched with the flu strain of this year and shows 19 percent effectiveness.
