COVID and flu cases on the rise

TAMPA - A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows 38 states with high or very high levels of the flu and other respiratory illnesses between Christmas and New Year's. 

The flu appears to be increasing most dramatically.  Since October, there have been at least 10 million illnesses, 110,000 hospitalizations, and 6,500 deaths from the flu, according to the CDC.

Flu season usually peaks between December and February.

The CDC director says this year's flu shots are well-matched to fight the strain that's spreading most.

Local pediatricians say they’ve noticed an uptick in respiratory illnesses in kids and young adults up to age 21.

"We’re still seeing RSV and COVID as well. It’s keeping our emergency department pretty busy with all of these respiratory illnesses," said Dr. Megan Martin, a pediatrician at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.

The latest data is always the month prior.

So in December, All Children’s saw an increase in flu a and flu b with 431 cases, and RSV cases remain high, with more than 185 cases.

The hospital also saw 61 patients positive for COVID.

"This falls in line with our pre-pandemic rough flu year, not the worst we’ve ever seen, it’s not the flu season we saw with the pandemic when everyone was wearing masks and protecting themselves against that droplet transmission, but it’s a pretty standard rough respiratory season for us," Dr. Martin said.