US flu ebbs for third straight week, but impact on healthcare remains Sixteen more pediatric flu deaths were reported, as hospitalizations and outpatient visits remain high. CIDRAP

US flu activity last week declined for the third week in a row, but major impacts are still being felt at hospitals and outpatient clinics, with 16 more pediatric flu deaths reported, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Friday in its latest update.

With the nation still in the grips of a high-severity season for the first time since 2017-18, test positivity for flu last week was still high, at 18.9%, but shows a declining trend. Nationally, the percentage of outpatient visits for flulike illness—currently just shy of 5%—has been above the national baseline for 14 weeks in a row, and all areas of the country remain above their regional baselines.

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