06-02-2025
Tennessee flu activity among highest in the nation, causing school closures. What to know
Flu season is in full swing and the Volunteer State is feeling its full effects.
Multiple school districts in East Tennessee are closed from Thursday, Feb. 6 due to the high prevalence of illness. Claiborne County Schools, Blount County Schools, Union County Schools and more have canceled classes.
The trend of closures continues across the state. Five school districts are closed in Middle Tennessee due to illness and two more school districts are closed or have a remote learning day in Chattanooga.
Currently, Tennessee has one of the highest rates of flu activity in the nation, according to the most recent CDC data.
The CDC considers flu activity in the Volunteer State to be "very high," the highest classification level. Other states with very high flu activity are Louisiana, South Carolina, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire as of Jan. 25.
The Walgreens' Flu Index lists Knoxville and Memphis among the markets with the most flu activity nationally. The most recent data, from the last week of January, placed Knoxville at No. 6 and Memphis at No. 8.
It's at the discretion of individual school districts to close due to illness. Schools do not need the approval of the Tennessee Department of Education commissioner to cancel in this circumstance.
These are the most common flu symptoms according to the CDC. If children or adults feel intense muscle pain, have trouble breathing, or have chest pain, they should seek immediate medical care.
fever or feeling feverish/chills. However, not everyone with the flu will experience a fever.
cough
sore throat
runny or stuffy nose
muscle or body aches
headaches
fatigue
some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.
Influenza A has been the prominent illness this season, according to the CDC. Of the 2,693 viruses reported by public health laboratories during the week of Jan. 25, 2,642 were influenza A and only 51 were influenza B.
The Tennessee Department of Health also reported Influenza A being more common in the Volunteer State.
Influenza A tends to be more common than Influenza B each flu season, according to Healthline. Additionally, Influenza A can affect more than just people; birds, pigs and other animals are also at risk of falling ill.
Both illnesses have similar symptoms and treatment methods.
No. It's not too late to get a flu shot, according to the National Foundation of Infectious Diseases.
The CDC recommends that everyone aged 6 months and older get vaccinated annually.
Flu viruses typically spread the most in fall and winter, with activity peaking between December and February.
While there is no exact date that signals the end of flu season, historical CDC data shows that flu activity dramatically drops in April and May.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee flu activity among highest in U.S., causing school closings
