After an early outbreak, the nation’s flu epidemic is showing some signs of weakening, but government experts say it’s too soon to tell whether the worst has passed.
“The only thing predictable about flu is that it’s unpredictable,” said Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Only time will tell us how long our season will last and how moderate or how severe this season will be in the end.”
As of Friday, 24 states and New York City reported high levels of influenza-like illness among outpatient hospital visitors. That’s down from 29 last week, according to new data released Friday by the CDC.
States reporting high levels of patients with flu-like symptoms include Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina and Texas.
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