A new and highly contagious variant of flu, named subclade K, is sweeping across the United States, causing more severe symptoms than other strains. The variant, a version of H3N2, has led to a surge in hospitalizations in multiple states.
Dr Juanita Mora, a spokesperson for the American Lung Association, told NBC’s Telemundo Chicago that the virus is hitting both children and adults “hard.” Symptoms include high fevers of up to 105 degrees, a persistent phlegmy cough, vomiting, diarrhoea, and severe joint and muscle aches.
A CDC report shows a surge in respiratory illness-related medical visits, with New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Louisiana and Colorado recording “very high” numbers of outpatient visits. Massachusetts, Connecticut, Michigan, Idaho, South Carolina and New Mexico are also marked as having a “high” number of cases.
Dr Neil Maniar, professor of public health practice at Northeastern University, warned that the virus has not yet peaked. Boston has seen a 114 percent surge in cases just days before Christmas, according to the Boston Public Health Commission. So far, 1,900 people in the US have died from flu infections this year, with 49,000 hospitalised.
Dr Mora identified three key warning signs of the K variant: a high fever that does not break, shortness of breath, and dehydration. She urged parents to seek emergency care if children experience chest pain, difficulty breathing, not urinating, severe muscle pain, dizziness or confusion.
Dr Maniar urged people to get the flu vaccine, despite it not being calibrated for subclade K, as it can limit symptoms. His warning comes amid false claims about vaccines from Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and President Donald Trump, who have questioned vaccine safety. Doctors have emphasised that vaccines are “incredibly effective and incredibly safe.”
