Cassette indicating a positive test for influenza B in front of a box of 2-in-1 tests to detect COVID-19 as well as influenza A and B, nasal self-test with swab from the Boiron laboratory in Lyon, France on 28 Jan. 2025. (Photo by Antoine Boureau/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images)
ANTOINE BOUREAU / Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images
Flu cases are on the rise this season, with 27 states — along with New York City and Washington D.C. — now moving to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s highest tier of influenza activity.
The flu can be deadly, with 11,000 deaths attributed to it so far this season, according to the CDC.
“The flu vaccine is about 40% to 60% protective,” says Dr. Dan Barouch, a professor of medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School. “It’s not a vaccine that gives complete protection against the flu, but it does substantially improve outcomes from the flu, particularly severe outcomes.”
3 questions with Dr. Dan Barouch
How important is testing for the flu?
“ Flu is surging to very high levels across the United States. I believe 41 states have high or very high levels of flu. So testing is very important because individuals who know they have influenza infection can be treated if treatment can start within about 48 hours of symptoms. So it’s very important to test for the flu because treatment exists and it can improve outcomes.
“The home testing kits can facilitate testing much better than sometimes at urgent care settings, for which there might be a wait or harder to get to. So the home testing kits for both COVID and flu, and now they can be combined in a single test, can be very convenient for individuals who want to know very quickly whether they have COVID, flu, or one or the other.”
Is there anything you want people to know about the flu that they may not be able to find right now through the government?
“ Information is really important. And information about the winter respiratory viruses changes every week. It spikes, it goes up, it goes down. So accurate and timely information is really important. Flu has caused an estimated 20 million cases this season so far, a quarter of a million hospitalizations and about 10,000 deaths. So flu is definitely surging. It was relatively quiet during the pandemic and now it’s clearly made a comeback.”
What else do you want people to look out for?
“ I think this season, when influenza appears particularly bad, then it’s important for people to get vaccinated, as well as tested if they develop respiratory illness because treatment exists for people who are infected with influenza.”
Thomas Danielian produced and edited this interview for broadcast with Michael Scotto. Allison Hagan adapted it for the web.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.