so far this season. and the cdc s latest weekry report finds the virus has caused 150,000 hospitalizations and 9,300 deaths. yeah. i feel like almost every child that i know is ill. covid is also showing signs of a winter comeback. one in ten people live in a high transmission area, higher than last weekend, double the week before. cnn breaks down the numbers. reporter: boris, amara, as we head toward the holidays and people are gearing up to see family, officials are emphasizing the importance of protected measures, testing and treatment for koefpltd covid hospitalizations have been on the rise early november and specifically for seniors where hospitalization rates are four times higher than any other age group. 14% of the u.s. population is still in an area that meets the cdc criteria, up from less than 5% last week.
the biggest threat to your holiday celebrations. we re talking about these throw viruses that are rapidly spreading across the country. covid, the flu, and the respiratory illness known as rsv. the cdc just reported flu activity is still high despite some areas seeing declines. so, so far this season, we ve seen 15 million infections, 150,000 hospitalizations, and over 9,000 deaths tied to the flu. fouurther compounding the problem, rsv has been raging and covid may be on the verge of a winter comeback. dr. fauci underscored how crucial vaccines are in this triple threat. it doesn t have to the new normal for the simple reason that we have good countermeasures for two out of those three, and the three you are referring to is covid, influenza and respiratory
the virus has caused 150,000 hospitalizations and 9,300 deaths. the number of flu vaccines distributed at this point continues to lag behind the past two years. the cdc finds covid is also showing signs of a winter comeback. 14% of the u.s. is in a high transmission covid area, but that s higher than last week. cnn s medical correspondent is with us now. let s start with the flu numbers. they show young children are being hit hard. what do they show? yes, victor, new cdc data suggests flu activity is still high but may be declining in some areas. last week about 23,500 people were admitted with the flu, which was a slight drop from the week before. overall, the flu hospitalization rate is the highest in a decade. the hospitalization rate is highest among seniors and young kids under 5, as you mentioned.
activity is still high, but some areas are seeing declines. so far this season, the flu has caused 15 million infections, 150,000 hospitalizations, and 9,300 deaths. the flu is part of the triple threat according to federal health officials. rsv also raging, and covid may be on the verge of a winter comeback. right now 14% of the u.s. is in high transmission, an area there for coronavirus, and that s higher than last week. cnn medical analyst, dr. jonathan reiner is here. good to see you. let s start with the question i think most people are wondering. it s christmastime, hanukkah coming, and people will be getting together for family gatherings, crowded parties, going to airports. should we be wearing masks again at these places? repo oh, yes. maybe not so much at your holiday party if you are