The 2020 Influenza Epidemic—More Serious Than Coronavirus in the US

Although coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) dominates the news in early 2020, it affects few people in the US. In contrast, at the same time the US is experiencing a severe influenza epidemic, which has caused an estimated 250 000 hospitalizations and 14 000 deaths. Timothy Uyeki, MD, lead for the CDC's 2019 novel coronavirus response team and Chief Medical Officer of CDC's influenza division, discusses influenza in the US, how it compares to coronavirus, and what both patients and clinicians should know about this year's flu season. CDC's Influenza site CDC's Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report HealthMap Vaccine Finder