New flu strain emerging as a severe health threat
Fox Information senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel joins ‘America’s Newsroom’ to warn of a brand new pressure of the flu that’s spiking hospitalizations throughout the nation and newfound dangers of medical marijuana’s hyperlink to psychosis.
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A brand new type of the flu, which is extremely contagious and aggressive, is sweeping the nation this season.
A mutation of influenza A H3N2, known as subclade Okay, has been detected because the offender in rising international instances, together with within the U.S.
The World Well being Group said on its web site that the Okay variant marks “a notable evolution in influenza A (H3N2) viruses,” which some say calls into query the effectiveness of this season’s influenza vaccine towards the pressure.
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The Okay variant causes extra intense flu signs, together with fever, chills, headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat and runny nostril, based on specialists.
A number of states within the northeast are reporting excessive charges of respiratory sickness this month. (iStock)
Amongst 216 influenza A(H3N2) viruses collected since Sept. 28, 89.8% belonged to subclade Okay, a CDC report states.
The company continues to launch a weekly influenza surveillance report, monitoring which states are seeing probably the most exercise for outpatient respiratory illness.
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Under are the states and areas inside the highest vary of reported medical visits, not essentially confirmed influenza instances, as of the week ending Dec. 13.
The CDC’s weekly influenza surveillance report, an outpatient respiratory sickness exercise map, primarily based on knowledge reported to ILINet for the week ending Dec. 13, 2025. (CDC FluView)
Very Excessive (Degree 1)
Very Excessive (Degree 2)
Very Excessive (Degree 3)
- New Jersey
- Rhode Island
- Louisiana
- Colorado
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Excessive (Degree 1)
- Massachusetts
- Connecticut
- Michigan
- Idaho
- South Carolina
Excessive (Degree 2)
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Excessive (Degree 3)
- Washington, D.C.
- Maryland
- North Carolina
- Georgia
The CDC has estimated that there have been no less than 4.6 million diseases, 49,000 hospitalizations and 1,900 flu deaths this season up to now. The flu vaccine is really helpful as the perfect line of protection towards the virus.
 The flu vaccine is really helpful as the perfect line of protection towards the virus. (iStock)
In an interview with Fox Information Digital, Dr. Neil Maniar, professor of public well being observe at Boston’s Northeastern College, shared particulars on the early severity of this rising flu pressure.
“It’s changing into evident that this can be a fairly extreme variant of the flu,” he stated. “Definitely, in different components of the world the place this variant has been prevalent, it is brought on some extreme sickness, and we’re seeing an aggressive flu season already.”
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Subclade Okay is the “good storm” for an aggressive flu season, Maniar recommended, as vaccination charges general are down, and it is unsure whether or not this 12 months’s flu vaccine instantly addresses this particular mutation.
“The vaccine is essential to get, however as a result of it is not completely aligned with this variant, I believe that is additionally contributing to some extent to the severity of instances we’re seeing,” he stated. “We’re stepping into [to this flu season] with decrease vaccination charges and a variant that in itself appears to be extra aggressive.”
Subclade Okay has “brought on some extreme sickness, and we’re seeing an aggressive flu season already,” a health care provider stated. (iStock)
Maniar careworn that it is not too late to get the flu vaccine, as peak flu season has not but arrived.
“The vaccine nonetheless offers safety towards serious illness ensuing from the subclade Okay variant that appears to be going round,” he stated. “There are prone to be plenty of indoor gatherings and different occasions that create danger of publicity, so safety is vital.”
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Even healthy individuals can turn out to be critically sick from the flu, Maniar famous, “so a vaccine is useful for nearly everybody.”
“People sometimes begin to develop a point of safety inside a couple of days and achieve the complete profit inside about two weeks, so now’s the time for anybody who hasn’t gotten the vaccine but.”