National flu activity remains elevated but is beginning to ease across most of the U.S. after an unusually intense December surge, according to the CDC’s latest weekly FluView report.
Most regions are reporting stable or declining trends, though parts of the Pacific Northwest continue to see increases. More than half of U.S. states (27) are reporting high or very high flu activity, while just five states remain at minimal levels.
Flu-related hospitalizations, outpatient visits and deaths all declined in the week ending Jan. 31, though the 2025–26 season continues to stand out for the severity of its early peak and strain on hospital capacity.
Five things to know:
1. The weekly flu hospitalization rate fell to 2.2 per 100,000 in the most recent week, down sharply from a late-December peak of 12.8 per 100,000, the second-highest weekly rate seen since the 2010–11 season. The cumulative hospitalization rate reached 63.2 per 100,000 as of Jan. 31 — also the highest at this point in the season since 2010–11.
2. The percentage of outpatient visits for respiratory illness was 4.4% in the week ending Jan. 31, down from 4.7% the week prior.
3. The test positivity rate for flu remained stable week over week at 18%. The test positivity rate for influenza B has increased for two consecutive weeks as influenza A activity continues to fall. The H3N2 strain of influenza A has been the leading driver of flu activity so far this season.
4. The percentage of deaths attributed to flu declined for a third consecutive week, based on preliminary data from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. The CDC also confirmed eight new pediatric deaths in the week ending Jan. 31, bringing the season’s total to 60.
5. At least 22 million illnesses, 280,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 flu deaths have occurred so far this season, the CDC estimates.
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