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Alix Martichoux of The Hill reported 39 minutes ago that three respiratory illnesses, including the flu, RSV, and COVID, are spreading widely across the country and making families sick. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there has been a significant increase in people reporting symptoms of respiratory illnesses, as well as a 13% increase in people testing positive for influenza in a single week. The CDC estimates that so far this season, there have been 5.3 million people sickened, 54,000 people hospitalized, and 3,200 deaths from the flu, and those numbers are still rising. The data released on December 16th showed that nine states, as well as New York City, were classified as having “very high” flu activity, which is the CDC’s highest level. Another 14 states and Washington, D.C. were categorized as having “high” illness activity. The CDC compared the current data from health care providers to what’s normal for each area outside of flu season to determine each state’s level of flu activity. However, the overlapping symptoms of COVID, RSV, and the flu make it difficult for people to know which illness they have without a test.
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