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#### Emergency Room Physician Sounds Alarm as Flu Infections Continue to Rise in the U.S.

Dr. Christopher Langan, SignatureCare Emergency Center’s Chief Meical Officer says this year’s rate of Influenza infections is one of the highest he has ever witnessed.

HOUSTON, TX – Not since the 2009-2010 Swine flu epidemic have Americans witnessed the astronomical rate of flu infections that are currently being seen in most regions of the U.S, including Texas.

One of the ways doctors measure the rate of flu infections throughout the country is by observing the rate of doctor’s office visits and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported that the rate of visits has surpassed any they have seen in the past 15 years.

The CDC reports that “the amount of acute respiratory illness causing people to seek healthcare is at a very high level while seasonal influenza activity remains elevated and continues to increase across the country.”

Reacting to the data from the CDC, board-certified emergency room (ER) physician and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Houston, TX-based SignatureCare Emergency Center, Dr. Christopher Langan said most Texas emergency centers are witnessing huge spikes in emergency room visits from flu-like illnesses.

He cautioned Texans to take steps to protect themselves and their families as this trend continues.

“The flu peak nationwide is continuing to progress. As we see more respiratory cases in Texas, please take appropriate steps to protect yourself and your families. We want everyone healthy,” he said.

The ER physician said it is not too late for Texans to get the flu vaccine if they have not done so already, adding that they save lives and trips to hospitals and emergency centers.

“It is not too late to get vaccinated for the flu if you haven't done so already, as we expect cases to continue to rise. Getting vaccinated saves lives and trips to the emergency rooms so do so now if you have not done so already,” Dr. Langan added.

So far, the CDC estimates that as of the first week of February 2025, there have been at least 24 million flu illnesses, 310,000 hospitalizations and 13,000 deaths — including at least 57 children. Traditionally, flu season peaks around February.

About 43 states are currently reporting high or very high flu activity in the most recent report by the CDC. Flu was most intense in the South, Southwest and western states.

The CDC said Texas is currently experiencing very high respiratory illness activity and very high, and increasing number of visits from flu infections. Visits from COVID-19, although currently low, continue to increase as well, while RSV visits are decreasing in the state.

The CDC also said that wastewater tests throughout the country indicate that viral activities remain very high meaning that more Americans may be currently infected even though they may not be showing symptoms of the illness.

“People who are infected often shed virus into wastewater, even if they don’t have symptoms. As a result, high wastewater levels may indicate an increased level of infections even when other measures remain low,” the CDC said.

SignatureCare Emergency Center’s ERs are open 24 hours in many cities throughout Texas.

About SignatureCare Emergency Center

Houston, TX-based SignatureCare Emergency Center owns nine 24-hour emergency centers throughout Texas, including in Odessa, Killeen, Austin, Pflugerville, Midland, Texarkana, Lewisville, and College Station, TX.

By SignatureCare ER | Feb 13th, 2025| Categories: Health & Wellness, News
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