Weekly numbers show that 2% of U.S. deaths for week 5 were due to the flu. COVID was responsible for 1.5% of deaths in the nation, the numbers show.

Partial CDC data suggest that influenza deaths may have already reached as high as 2% of deaths for the week ending on Feb. 1, also surpassing COVID-19 mortality nationwide which was holding at around 1.5%. More complete data is expected to be published Friday.

With flu activity last week higher than or similar to the highest point of the season and hospitalizations and deaths on the rise, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today that it now classified the season as high severity for all age-groups for the first time since the 2017-18 season.