Natalie Duckworth, Staff Writer As fall slowly changes into winter, many Americans are familiar with the coming of another season: the flu season. But this year, that season has begun much earlier than usual. Viruses that commonly occur in the winter, such as the flu and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), have infected Americans and caused a record number of hospitalizations in October and November, rather than December and January, which is when cases have peaked in the past. According to CDC data, flu cases are “very high” in Virginia, DC, and Maryland. Visual from The Medical University of South Carolina; The high number of influenza cases in 2022 should encourage people to get the vaccination. What is causing this sudden onset of illness? It seems that protocols used throughout 2020 and 2021, designed to protect people from catching COVID-19, might be to blame. While wearing masks and staying at home helped prevent the spread of COVID-19, now that the country is returning to its pre-covid state and eliminating past precautions, people are more exposed to other illnesses like the flu and RSV. In particular, many young children have not been exposed to these illnesses and therefore have little to no immunity against them (Edwards). As the US transitions into the holiday season, many worry that recent gatherings for Thanksgiving will spread the flu to others. Recent data shows that more people have been infected with the virus, but luckily, hospitalization numbers and deaths have remained at a low level for the past few months (Goodman). Works Cited Edwards, Erika. "Flu Hospitalizations Hit Decade High Amid Early Viral Surge." NBC News, 4 Nov. 2022,
www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/flu-hospitalizations-hit-decade-high-early-viral-surge-rcna55099. Accessed 25 Nov. 2022. Goodman, Brenda. "New Subvariants, Holiday Gatherings May Bring More COVID, but Experts Don't Expect Severe Surge." ABC7 New York, 25 Nov. 2022, abc7ny.com/covid-cases-cdc-covid-19-new-variant/12494007/. Accessed 25 Nov. 2022. "Weekly US Map: Influenza Summary Update." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 25 Nov. 2022, www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/usmap.htm. Accessed 25 Nov. 2022.
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