Respiratory Virus Activity On the Rise as End of Year Approaches

Respiratory virus activity is on the rise in the U.S., according to the CDC. CIDRAP has the news.

The test positivity rate for flu rose to 5.1% at clinical labs last week, “up from 3.5% the previous week, and it is increasing across 8 of 10 regions of the country. Emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalization rates also rose, and outpatient visits for flulike illness are at 3.4% and are now above the national baseline.” The highest hospitalization rate was in seniors.

The CDC said that the overall respiratory virus illness level remains “moderate for the second week in a row.” It also noted that “COVID activity—as reflected by wastewater detections, ED visits, and test positivity—is starting to rise in some parts of the country from low levels.” The agency predicts COVID-19 rates will increase in the coming weeks, which is normal for winter. Wastewater detections remain in the low range for now.

RSV activity also “continues to increase in most US regions, especially in young children, the CDC said. RSV-related ED visits and hospitalizations are rising in children, with hospitalizations on the rise in older adults in some areas.”