Whereas seasonal flu exercise in the USA has decreased for 3 consecutive weeks and hospitalizations amongst school-aged youngsters are secure, flu exercise stays elevated nationally and influenza-related emergency division visits for school-aged youngsters are growing, in line with the newest replace at this time from the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC’s FluView report for the week ending January 17 (week 2) reveals that a number of flu indicators are declining. Knowledge from medical laboratories throughout the nation present the share of optimistic flu checks at 17.7%, which is down from 18.6% the earlier week, whereas knowledge from the Nationwide Middle for Well being Statistics present the share of flu-related deaths fell from 2.1% to 1.8%.
The variety of US jurisdictions reporting excessive or very excessive flu exercise fell from 36 the earlier week to 31, and the variety of flu-related baby deaths dropped from 15 to 12, bringing the full variety of flu-related pediatric deaths this yr to 44.
Knowledge from the US Outpatient Influenza-like Sickness Surveillance Community reveal that 4.4% of affected person visits in week 2 had been for respiratory signs that included fever, cough, or sore throat. That quantity is down barely from the earlier week (5.3%) however remained above the nationwide baseline for the seventh week in a row (see CDC graph under).
Some areas throughout the nation, together with the Midwest and central and West Coast areas, are reporting secure or growing flu exercise after declines over the earlier two weeks.
The 2025-26 flu season has been dominated by influenza A(H3N2) viruses, greater than 90% of which belong to subclade Ok, a variant with mutations which have allowed it to evade immunity conferred by the present flu vaccine.
The CDC estimates at the very least 19,000,000 sicknesses, 250,000 hospitalizations, and 10,000 deaths have been on account of flu this season.
COVID, RSV exercise low to reasonable
As of at this time (January 23, 2026), the general quantity of respiratory sickness inflicting individuals to hunt well being care is at a low stage nationally, in line with the CDC’s weekly respiratory virus replace.
On the similar time, RSV exercise is reasonable and lowering, however it’s elevated in some components of the nation, together with emergency division visits amongst youngsters age 4 years and youthful and hospitalizations amongst infants youthful than 12 months.
The CDC additionally studies that COVID exercise is elevated in some areas however is low and lowering nationwide.
