About half of U.S. states report very high respitory illnesses, straining hospitals.

Flu season already hitting hard across half of the US and children's hospitals are still feeling the pressure from respiratory illnesses | CNN About half of the US -- 22 states, along with Washington, DC, New York City and Puerto Rico -- is reporting high or very high respiratory illness activity, as flu season sweeps through the country weeks earlier than usual. Deidre McPhillips CNN

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Multiple respiratory viruses are circulating nationwide – including flu, RSV and the virus that causes Covid-19 – and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tweeted Thursday that flu is contributing to a “significant proportion” of that circulation.

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