Featured Image Credit: Getty Images
Topics: Health
Callum Jones
These are the US states being hit the hardest this season, as recent data found 2.9 million people have fallen ill from the flu so far this winter.
While flu impacts millions of Americans every single year, a so-called 'super flu' is taking its toll in 2025 and is said to be spreading 'worse than any other year'.
It's due to a strain of the flu, officially designated H3N2, which is recognised as one of two widely circulating influenza strains. While H3N2 is the bigger group of viruses, a subtype known as the 'K' strain is currently the most dominant strain in the US, and has also been sweeping the UK.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on Thursday (December 11) that its recent data indicated an 8.1 per cent increase in infections over the past week and urged people to get vaccinated.
Advert
127 million doses of the influenza vaccine have been distributed so far this season, as the CDC states that everyone aged 6 months and older should receive the vaccine.
The agency's weekly influenza surveillance report further details the states with the highest levels of the flu.
According to the CDC, from December 6, Colorado, Louisiana, New Jersey, and New York have 'high' levels of influenza and are among the hardest hit in the US, with New York City alone seeing 'very high' levels of activity.
Meanwhile, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, Michigan, South Carolina and Texas have 'moderate' levels of the virus. At the lowest levels in the US, Illinois, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming are all in the 'minimal' category.
Unlike the common cold, which many of us will likely catch this winter, the flu often develops very quickly and suddenly. It can present a wide range of symptoms, from extreme tiredness to fever.
H3N2, in particular, presents similar symptoms to those of most seasonal flus, including a cough, runny nose, body aches, and possibly vomiting and diarrhoea.
For the most part, the flu can be treated at home with plenty of fluids and a ton of rest to ensure a speedy recovery. Typically, symptoms will improve or disappear entirely in five to seven days.
However, individuals experiencing severe symptoms, such as high fever, signs of dehydration, or difficulty breathing, are advised to seek medical attention.
Dr Robert Hopkins Jr., the medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, told Today: "The flu is not just a cold. It can be quite severe."