A new flu strain is behind an “elevated” level of flu cases across California, including in the North State, according to the California Department of Public Health.
The variant, dubbed the “super flu,” is called subclade K.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the vast majority of flu viruses the agency has collected this season – approximately 90% – have been attributed to subclade K.
The test positivity rate for flu cases in the North State was around 14% as of Jan. 23, according to California’s respiratory virus dashboard. That’s considered a “moderate” level of cases. Test positivity is considered “high” at 15%.
The new variant seems to be more transmissible than typical flu strains, according to Stanford Medicine. It can also cause more severe symptoms. And this year’s vaccine isn’t as effective against subclade K.
That’s because each year, scientists have to make an educated guess on what strains to include in the coming season’s flu vaccine. Sometimes, the virus develops an unexpected mutation, like subclade K, which makes it easier for the flu to get around some of the vaccine’s protection.
But experts say the shot will still provide a good degree of protection, especially from hospitalization and even death.
“You know the single most important thing that you can do is get that flu shot,” Dr. Jarett Beaudoin, Butte County’s public health officer, said in a Facebook video on Jan. 26.
People facing increased risk of getting seriously ill may consider wearing a mask, Beaudoin suggested. That includes adults aged 65 and older and children younger than 2.
“Especially when you’re in public settings,” Beaudoin said.
