25 states see 'high,' or 'very high' levels of respiratory illness activity: CDC

Half of all states are seeing high levels of respiratory virus activity, new federal data updated Friday shows.

Currently, 25 states plus New York City and Washington, D.C., are experiencing "high" or "very high" levels of respiratory illness activity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

While this is higher than the 23 states experiencing "high" or "very high" activity levels last week, it is fewer than the peak of 38 states reporting "high' or 'very high' levels the week ending Dec. 30.

Respiratory illness activity is defined as people going to the doctor with symptoms including fever and a cough and/or sore throat from any respiratory disease including flu, COVID, RSV, and the common cold.

New weekly COVID hospitalizations remained steady with 21,373 recorded the week ending Feb. 10, slightly up from 21,204 the week ending Feb. 3. Despite the uptick, COVID hospitalizations remain lower than the same time last year.

Most counties are still in the low hospital admission category meaning fewer than 10 COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people.

Additionally, other metrics including test positivity and emergency department visits have continued to decline, CDC data shows.

Weekly COVID deaths have slightly declined to 2,152 for the week ending Jan. 20, the last week of complete data, from 2,457 the week ending Jan. 13.

Experts have previously explained that deaths are a lagging indicator and may take some time to fall after hospitalizations.

Last week, the CDC announced it was tracking a new COVID variant of COVID-19, known as BA.2.87.1, which has so far been detected nine times in South Africa, according to an update provided by the federal health agency last week.

There have not been any cases of this variant reported in the U.S. or anywhere outside of South Africa, but the CDC notes that the current public health risk appears low.

Meanwhile, flu hospitalizations slightly declined from 11,073 the previous week to 10,787 the week ending Feb. 10, according to CDC data, with percent positivity for flu remaining stable overall.

Flu activity continues to remain elevated nationally, with increases in the mid-Atlantic, the Midwest, and the Great Plains, the CDC said.

The CDC estimates that there have been at least 24 million illnesses, 260,000 hospitalizations, and 16,000 deaths from flu so far this season.

Adults over age 65 continue to have the highest rates of both COVID and flu hospitalizations.

Additionally, RSV activity has decreased in many areas likely peaking nationally for this season. Infants under age 4 have the highest rates of RSV hospitalizations.

Health officials continue to recommend that all eligible Americans get their updated flu and COVID vaccine as well as RSV shots, but trends continue to lag in the U.S.

Currently, only 47.6% of adults are vaccinated against the flu and 22.3% are vaccinated with the updated COVID vaccine. Additionally, just 21.9% of adults over age 60 have received the RSV vaccine, according to CDC data.

While half of all children, 50%, are vaccinated against the flu, just 12.4% have received the updated COVID vaccine.