You’re not imagining it: Everyone seems to have the flu this year. And they’ve got it bad.
The numbers are especially grim in the Big Apple: According to preliminary hospital data collected by New York City’s syndromic surveillance system, more people visited the ER for flu symptoms the week of December 20 than they did during any other week in the last 10 years.
Even more troubling? This “super flu” is going to get worse.
“We haven’t hit the peak yet,” Dr. Caitlin Rivers, an infectious-disease epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told the New York Times.
Flu rates in New York City rise
Flu season started early this year, and numbers have climbed throughout December.
Manhattan had a 104% spike in cases the week of December 6 to December 13, according to Patch. That week, the Bronx had a 98% increase, Staten Island’s cases went up 75%, Queens was at 65% higher and Brooklyn at 58%.
Last week alone, there were 9,857 ER visits for what’s categorized as flu-like illness. That number is higher than any week during the 2017-18 or 2024-25 flu seasons — which, the Times noted, the CDC described as “high severity” flu seasons.
Of course, most people with the flu don’t go to the hospital — and many don’t even get tested. But numbers for those who have tested positive for the flu have been high as well staggering: The city had 24,607 positive tests reported by labs in the second week of December. That’s higher than any week in the 2024-2025 flu season.
School attendance was also down just before Christmas break, according to Gothamist.
Why is the flu so bad this year?
This year’s flu has been dubbed the “super flu” due to how fast it’s spreading and how hard it’s hitting — and that’s due to several reasons.
First and foremost, fewer people are getting flu vaccines than in previous years.
And unfortunately, those who have gotten the shot aren’t entirely protected, since this year’s vax isn’t as effective as experts had hoped.
Flu vaccines begin production six to nine months in advance — and the virus is always mutating. That means that every year, the new flu vaccine is based on data and scientific predictions. And sometimes, those predictions fall short.
Usually, flu shots are 40% to 60% effective. This year, estimates are that it’s only 32% to 39% effective in adults. Fortunately, it’s fairing better in children with 72% to 75% efficacy.
“[The dominant strain is] not very well-aligned with the vaccine this year, which means there is potentially a larger proportion of the population that is susceptible to the flu,” said Neil Maniar, director of the master of public health program at Northeastern University.
The dominant strain this year is subclade K, a mutation of H3N2.
What are subclade K flu and H3N2 flu?
There are two types of flu that infect humans: Influenza A and Influenza B. Influenza A is the most common, and includes subtypes like H1N1 (better known as swine flu) and H5N1 (bird flu).
Then there’s H3N2, which is the most common strain to cause flu infections. But H3N2 mutates all the time. This year, a mutation called subclade K is driving the increase in the flu — not just in the US, but around the world.
What are the symptoms of this year’s flu?
This year’s flu symptoms are generally the same as in previous years. They include fever, fatigue, body aches, chills, runny or congested nose, vomiting, diarrhea and sore throat.
What should you do if you get the flu?
Despite lower efficacy this year, experts still recommend getting a flu shot — and it’s not too late.
Once you’re sick, it’s really about taking it easy and hydrating.
“Be sure to drink plenty of fluids, get sufficient rest and take Tylenol or Advil to manage fever, headaches and muscle aches at home,” Dr. Mark Mulligan, director of NYU Langone Health’s Vaccine Center, previously told The Post.
Stay home from work, and go to the doctor if you experience shortness of breath, or if you don’t improve or your symptoms worsen after three or four days at home.
