The flu season has once again begun in the USA and has already caused the deaths of two children with a rapid spike in hospitalizations. It comes every year but the one reported in 2020-2021 was the lowest in decades. It was because of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and people were made to sit home in the lockdown. Closure of schools and markets, social distancing, and travel restrictions led to almost zero cases in some major US cities. However, the same flu season is once again back and with a much stronger rate this time!  

Lynnette Brammer is an epidemiologist who tracks flu-like illnesses for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and according to her, this year flu season is setting itself more than a normal wave. Its activity is picking up and the reported children's deaths are a sad reminder of its probable severity. In 2018, 144 children died of flu, in 2019 the number rose to 199 but last year it was unexpectedly light and one child died of it.

The annual hospitalizations due to flu, in recent years, have been blamed for 600,000 to 800,000 and the overall deaths ranged from 50,000-60,000. The newest data reports that the most intense flu activity was in Washington D.C. and other states with high flu activity included Kansas, Indiana, Tennessee, Georgia, New Mexico, New Jersey, and North Dakota.     

The situation is getting worse and worse!

What is even worse is that amidst this threatening flu season, the USA reports a record number of COVID-19 cases. On Monday, more than half a million new Corona cases were reported which is higher than the nation's previous record throughout the entire pandemic. The apparent increase is most likely due to cases that were backlogged over the holidays, but it also shows a surge in the highly contagious omicron strain.

These cases were reported in several states, including Washington and Georgia. In the last seven days, COVID-19 infections have increased by 213 percent in King County, Washington, which includes Seattle. According to state data, as of Tuesday afternoon, 25 Atlanta-area emergency rooms were turning away ambulances, while just six ERs at adult hospitals were receiving them.

What is to be done?

The present situation is very threatening for the general public and government and health officials are urging people to practice maximum protection. They’ve launched booster shots which are likely to be effective against the newly discovered Omicron variant. The government officials request people to get themselves vaccinated as soon as possible because the studies show that vaccinated people are at less risk of catching the infection. Secondly, the government is doing its best to ensure rapid and widespread testing across the whole country. Therefore, people are requested to get themselves tested so that the infection can be caught and its earliest and treated to avoid life-threatening dangers.

You can play your part in keeping the infection rate low by practicing social distancing and wearing masks as much as possible. There is a variety of masks available in the market that can protect you against the virus. If you are confused about a reliable vendor, visit medicalsupplyall.com. They have N95 masks made in the USA and KN95 masks as well. All these masks are NIOSH-approved and strictly tested before public availability. N95 masks made in the USA have been the most trusted masks throughout the pandemic. They provide you with a proper seal around your nose and mouth so that no germs enter or leave out in the environment. If you want to protect yourself through these hard times, social distancing and masks are the two major getaways. So, don't waste your time and get your masks today from medicalsupplyall.com.