Flu, COVID-19, and RSV Cases Surge Across U.S. Amid Winter Respiratory Season

The annual winter respiratory virus season is in full swing across the United States, with flu cases skyrocketing and COVID-19 and RSV infections also on the rise. Health officials report that hospitals are overwhelmed as emergency rooms fill with patients suffering from coughs, sneezes, and other respiratory symptoms.

“Respiratory season is here,” says Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease researcher at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. “We’re buried with influenza. Things are very, very busy and intense.” Schaffner notes that hospitals are seeing long wait times and full emergency rooms, with patients waiting on gurneys for admission.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu activity is at high levels nationwide, with RSV also spreading rapidly. COVID-19 cases, while no longer at emergency status, continue to cause significant hospitalizations and deaths. “Each respiratory season on average going forward is going to be worse than it was before the pandemic because of the addition of COVID,” Schaffner explains.

Dr. Andrew Pavia, an infectious disease researcher at the University of Utah, warns that the overlapping peaks of flu, RSV, and COVID-19 will create a challenging situation. “We’re in for a pretty miserable January before things start to let up,” he says. The season is expected to linger through the spring, with cases of other respiratory illnesses, such as mycoplasma pneumoniae and adenovirus, also contributing to the burden.

Health experts emphasize the importance of vaccination, handwashing, and masking in crowded places to reduce the spread of these viruses. “The flu and COVID-19 shots aren’t perfect, but they still do a pretty good job of keeping people out of the hospital,” says Dr. Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist from Johns Hopkins University. Rivers also recommends at-home testing for flu and COVID-19 to help guide treatment decisions.

In Texas, health officials report a significant increase in respiratory illnesses following the holiday season. Dr. Jason Bowling, a professor and infectious diseases specialist at University Health in San Antonio, notes that flu cases have more than doubled in recent weeks, with RSV and COVID-19 also on the rise. “There’s been a lot of exposures over the last couple of weeks that we’re starting to see the results of now,” Bowling says.

Despite the availability of vaccines, vaccination rates remain low in many areas. In Texas, only 18% of people received the updated COVID-19 vaccine in 2024, and 44% got the flu shot. Bowling urges people to get vaccinated, noting that it can reduce the severity of illness even if it doesn’t prevent infection entirely.

As the respiratory virus season continues, health officials stress the importance of staying home when sick and seeking medical attention for severe symptoms. “You’re paying it forward to your colleagues either at work or at school by not going out there if you’re sick,” Bowling advises.