According to recent reports from the Associated Press, the influenza virus is persisting in the United States, becoming more severe in certain regions following a period of overall decline.

The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, released on Friday, revealed a decrease in nationwide hospitalizations due to the flu. However, certain indicators, such as the number of states experiencing high or very high levels of respiratory illnesses, were on the rise.

According to the CDC’s Alicia Budd, we can confirm that we have reached the highest point on a national scale, but the situation differs at a regional level. She also mentioned that there are still a few regions that have not yet reached their peak.

There has been a slight decrease in the number of patients in the Southeast and parts of the West Coast. However, there is an increase in the spread of flu-like illnesses in the Midwest and some areas have seen a resurgence. According to officials from the CDC, last week there were high levels of reports in 23 states, an increase from 18 states the previous week.

Flu generally peaks in the U.S. between December and February. National data suggests this season’s peak came around late December, but a second surge is always possible. That’s happened in other flu seasons, with the second peak often — but not always — lower than the first, Budd said.

According to Budd, the current season has been quite normal. Based on data from the CDC, there have been approximately 22 million cases of flu, 250,000 hospitalizations, and 15,000 deaths since October. The agency also reports that 74 children have lost their lives due to the flu.

The amount of COVID-19 cases has reached its highest point at a similar time as the flu. According to CDC data, hospitalizations due to coronavirus have not reached the same levels as previous winters. The number of people hospitalized from COVID-19 is higher than those hospitalized from the flu, as shown by CDC data.

According to Dr. David Weber, a specialist in infectious diseases at the University of North Carolina, the patterns seen at a national level have also been observed in Chapel Hill.

Weber serves as the medical director for infection prevention at UNC Medical Center. Approximately one month ago, over 100 out of the hospital’s total 1,000 beds were occupied by patients with COVID-19, influenza, or RSV.

The current winter is not as severe as past ones, when there were 250 COVID-19 patients occupying beds at one time. However, it was still serious enough for the hospital to declare a capacity emergency and utilize extra beds, according to Weber.

Currently, there are approximately 35 occupied beds with individuals who have contracted one of these viruses, primarily COVID-19, as stated by him.

He stated that overall, it has been a typical year, but with the addition of COVID-19, the definition of normal has shifted and things have become slightly more hectic compared to before the pandemic.

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The Health and Science department of the Associated Press is funded by the Science and Educational Media Group of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The AP is fully responsible for all of its content.