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Influenza-like illness
We remain firmly in the off-season, but the effects of back-to-school are evident in this week's data. Outpatient influenza-like illness, or ILI, ticked up for a second week in a row to 1.1%. This remains far below the 3.1% threshold that would mark the onset of flu season, but nonetheless reflects increased activity from recent summer lows.
All four regions of the country are seeing increases, with the South registering the most notable uptick to 1.3%. Florida, Georgia, and Texas have all seen sizable increases in outpatient ILI over the last week. This fits with previous patterns, as those states tend to register trends first. The Midwest remains in best shape at 0.5% for outpatient ILI. Nonetheless, all fifty states are registering minimal activity, so these differences are mostly academic at this point.
As always, children ages 0-4 have the highest rates of outpatient ILI. This week they saw a sharp increase from 3.2% to 3.8%. Children ages 5-24 also saw a steep increase, from 1.3% to 1.7%. Older age groups remain below 1%.
Severe illness is minimal.
COVID-19
National Trend
Covid-19 activity continues to increase, with no signs of peak just yet. Emergency department visits for Covid-19 are at 0.5% nationwide with substantial variation from region to region. As in previous weeks, the South and West have markedly higher activity than the Midwest and Northeast, which have hardly registered the summer season.
CDC's Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics estimates growing activity in all 50 states.