Flu Season Hits Hard: What You Need to Know

Northern Virginia is facing a rough flu season. Hospitals are seeing a lot of sick people. The main culprit is a tough strain of influenza A, subclade k. This strain came out after the 2025 flu shot was made. It's making people really sick. Across the U. S. , there have been about 11 million flu cases this season. That's a lot! The CDC says there have been 120, 000 hospitalizations and 5, 000 deaths. Almost every state is seeing high or very high spread. Dr. Meredith Porter works at Inova-GoHealth Urgent Care. She says the region is seeing very high levels of respiratory illnesses. To handle the rush, they are adding more staff and extending virtual visit hours until midnight. The goal is to keep people out of the emergency room unless it's really necessary.There might be some good news. The number of respiratory cases in ERs dropped a bit from late December to early January. But the flu season usually peaks from December to February, so it's not over yet. The flu started spreading more after schools let out and people traveled for the holidays. Being around lots of people makes it easier to catch the flu, even if you don't feel sick yet. Typical flu symptoms include body aches, fever, cough, and fatigue. It can feel like you've been hit by a bus. If you have the flu, rest as much as possible and stay hydrated. If you need to go out, wear a mask and stay away from others. You're most contagious in the first three days after symptoms start. To avoid getting sick, wash your hands often, use hand sanitizer, and keep your distance from people who look sick.