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Early-season flu activity is currently higher than typically observed at this time of year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) weekly update. Because every season has some variation, the early start isn’t especially unique. For the week ending October 10, 2026, CDC notes 2.1% of outpatient visits were for respiratory illness. Separately, a national wastewater dashboard shows a high concentration of influenza A and SARS-CoV-2 present in wastewater testing as of October 21, with an upward trend for both over the past 21 days. In terms of forecast, CDC expects that the peak combined hospitalization rate due to COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease will be similar to that of the 2025-2026 season—which would appear to signal a moderate season, although predictions are anyone’s guess.
Respiratory virus data for urgent care: Detailed urgent care data from Experity demonstrates influenza activity is clearly on the rise—accelerating earlier in the year than the past 3 seasons. Through October 19, flu positivity rates have reached 10.1% across a rolling 7-day average. Additionally, strep positivity has reached 13.0% this week, and RSV positivity has reached 4.3%, according to Experity data.