Holidays didn’t lead to feared bump in flu cases, CDC says

By MIKE STOBBE
AP Medical Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — New U.S. government data suggests holiday gatherings didn’t spark surges in respiratory diseases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday reported that visits to doctors’ offices for the flu-like illnesses fell for the sixth straight week. Reports of RSV, a common bug, are also down. And COVID-19 hospitalizations appear to be down a bit. When flu and RSV surged in the fall, some doctors feared that winter might bring a “tripledemic” of flu, RSV and COVID-19. And they worried holiday gatherings might be the spark. But it didn’t happen, apparently. It’s not clear why. Flu season isn’t over, of course. Experts say it’s always possible that a second wave of illnesses is still ahead.