Flu season is winding down, but the Centers for Disease Control is warning of a second wave of Flu Virus B, which is happening right now.
The CDC says that B-viruses are being reported more frequently than the A-strain, which had been more dominant recently. A CDC spokesperson says B-strain viruses tend to be more severe for younger children.
Experts say it’s possible for those who have already been sick with the flu to fall ill again with a different strain later in the season.
In South Carolina, a total of 1,617 influenza cases were reported by 37 counties representing all four DHEC Public Health regions in the past week. Influenza B was most frequently reported by clinical labs. As of March 28, there were 129,678 influenza cases reported in South Carolina, with 4,265 hospitalizations and 242 deaths.
The agency said deaths due to pneumonia and influenza were below expected levels.
