Current Influenza Outbreaks and the Emergence of JN.1 Variant: An Update

This update is about the ongoing influenza outbreaks and the emergence of the JN.1 variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is responsible for COVID-19. We want to keep you in the loop about what’s happening with respiratory illnesses right now. Lots of people are going to the hospital because of the flu, and JN.1 is a big deal in making COVID-19 spread.

We’ll talk about how much JN.1 is around, how it’s affecting COVID-19, and what experts are doing to figure out and deal with these sicknesses. Stick around to learn more about what’s going on and how it might affect all of us. Stay healthy!

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a lot of people in the United States are still getting sick with respiratory diseases, even though some things have gotten better. Right now, more people are going to the emergency room for the flu than for COVID-19, even though COVID-19 still puts more people in the hospital. The most common types of flu this season are called A(H1N1) and type B. The A(H1N1) and type B viruses are the most common this season, and they might make people sicker when they go to the hospital compared to another type of flu called A(H3N2).

People are getting sick with COVID-19 a lot, especially in the eastern part of the US. JN.1 is part of the reason why COVID-19 is spreading more this winter, and it remains the most widely circulating variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the United States and globally. According to CDC, there is presently no proof that JN.1 makes people sicker than other types of the virus.

The CDC monitors how COVID-19 and the flu are affecting people, telling everyone to get vaccinated, and making sure that if someone gets sick, they get the right medicine quickly. They’re also trying to figure out how well the vaccines work and how the JN.1 variant is spreading.

There are fears that even though the flu might be getting better, it might come back strong, like a second wave since different regions have different flu viruses which might make more people to get seriously sick needing more help from hospitals.

As of January 6, 2024, only about 46.8% of adults in the U.S. got the flu shot for this season. Also by January 19, 2024, JN.1 makes up about 83% to 88% of all the COVID-19 variants that are going around. Therefore, CDC recommends that a flu shot can protect you from getting seriously ill.