Respiratory illness around the country spiked last week, just as families and friends gathered to celebrate the holidays. Tracking by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a 16% jump in people testing positive for influenza last week, plus a substantial rise in reports of other respiratory illnesses like COVID-19 and RSV.
Seven had the highest tier tracked by the CDC, level 13: Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
A Tennessee child has died from the flu in December, state health records show. It is the only flu-related death reported across the state this flu season.
