Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Dec 10, 2025 1 hour, 6 minutes ago
Medical News: Flu season slams into high gear across New York
New York is experiencing a sharp and early surge in flu cases, with more than 14,500 lab-confirmed infections recorded in just the final week of November. That’s a dramatic 80 percent increase from the previous week, signaling the official arrival of flu season with alarming force. Hospitalizations have also nearly doubled during the same period, jumping by 93 percent to nearly 800 individuals needing care. Genomic sequencing data shows that the new H3N2 Flu strain that belongs to the K Clade is behind the surge in infections.
Flu hospitalizations soar across New York amid early season spike in infections
Winter illness wave threatens hospitals and holiday plans
This sudden rise has sparked concerns among public health officials, especially as it comes just ahead of the busy holiday season when gatherings are at their peak. While this
Medical News report highlights a rapidly evolving health threat, the latest New York Department of Health data shows the state is grappling not only with the flu but also with concurrent increases in other respiratory illnesses.
RSV cases jumped 17 percent during the same week, reaching 2,200 statewide. COVID-19 continues to circulate, with 1,948 new cases confirmed in that week, though that figure marked a slight dip from the week before. Additionally, the state reported 13 respiratory disease outbreaks in hospitals and 15 in nursing homes since the season began.
Alarming trends point to worsening flu season ahead
Experts warn this could be a particularly harsh flu season due to the dominant strains in circulation. So far, there have been no reported pediatric deaths linked to flu, RSV, or COVID in New York, but officials remain cautious. With only 3.4 million flu shots administered by mid-November—down slightly from 3.5 million at the same time last year—concerns persist that public complacency may worsen outcomes.
The recent spike in cases, hospitalization surges, and multi-virus threats strongly suggest that this flu season may strain healthcare systems and increase risks, especially among the vulnerable.
Reference:
https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/respiratory_viruses/activity/2025-2026/docs/current_respiratory_report.pdf
For the latest H3N2 flu news, keep on logging to Thailand
Medical News.
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https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/influenza-or-flu
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