Yes, a significant number of people are sick right now. As of late February 2026, influenza is the dominant respiratory virus in the United States, with a test positivity rate of 17.9%. RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is also circulating at notable levels, with a positivity rate of 8.6%, while COVID-19 is contributing at a lower but still meaningful 4.3%.
Flu Is Driving Most of the Illness
Influenza is responsible for the bulk of what people are feeling right now. Nearly 1 in 5 tests for respiratory viruses are coming back positive for flu, which is a high rate by any measure. Eight U.S. jurisdictions reported “very high” flu activity for the week ending February 21, 2026, meaning large swaths of the country are dealing with widespread transmission. Hospital admissions for lab-confirmed flu are expected to range between 3,700 and 22,000 for the week ending March 7, though CDC forecasting models predict that number will likely decrease nationally in the coming days.
If you or people around you have come down with a sudden high fever, body aches, chills, and exhaustion over the past few weeks, flu is the most likely culprit. This late-February timing is consistent with a typical flu season peak, which usually falls between December and February but can stretch into March.
Where COVID-19 Stands
COVID-19 is still circulating but at moderate levels. Wastewater surveillance, which tracks viral particles in sewage to estimate how much virus is spreading in communities, shows a national viral activity level rated as moderate. The national wastewater signal was 3.94 for the week ending February 21, down slightly from 4.34 the previous week, suggesting a gradual decline rather than a surge.
Regional differences are notable. The Midwest had the highest wastewater signal at 5.52, followed by the Northeast at 4.91, while the West recorded the lowest at 1.49. So if you’re in the Midwest or Northeast and noticing more people coughing and calling in sick, that tracks with the data. The South and West are seeing comparatively less COVID activity right now.
RSV Is Still in the Mix
RSV rounds out the picture with a positivity rate of 8.6%. This virus tends to hit young children and older adults hardest, so if your toddler has a persistent cough, wheezing, or congestion that seems worse than a typical cold, RSV is a real possibility. For most healthy adults, RSV presents as a standard cold with runny nose, sore throat, and cough. It’s easy to dismiss, but it can be more serious for infants, people over 65, and anyone with chronic lung or heart conditions.
How to Tell What You Have
With three major viruses circulating at the same time, figuring out which one you’ve caught based on symptoms alone is tricky. All three can cause cough, congestion, fatigue, and fever. That said, there are some patterns worth knowing.
Flu tends to hit fast and hard. One moment you feel fine, and a few hours later you’re in bed with a high fever, muscle aches, and complete exhaustion. COVID-19 often builds more gradually and is more likely to involve loss of taste or smell, though that symptom has become less common with recent variants. RSV in adults usually looks like a bad cold, with heavy congestion and a wet cough, but without the severe body aches that flu brings.
The only reliable way to know for sure is testing. At-home rapid tests for COVID and flu are widely available at pharmacies. If you’re in a high-risk group or your symptoms are worsening after several days, getting a clear answer matters because antiviral treatments for both flu and COVID work best when started early, ideally within the first 48 hours of symptoms.
Why It Feels Like Everyone Is Sick
Your perception is backed by the numbers. When you add up a 17.9% flu positivity rate, 8.6% for RSV, and 4.3% for COVID, a substantial portion of the population is dealing with a respiratory infection at any given moment. Schools, offices, and households become transmission hubs, and because these viruses overlap in timing, it creates the feeling that sickness is everywhere.
The good news is that flu hospitalizations are forecast to decrease in the coming weeks, and COVID wastewater levels are trending slightly downward nationally. Late February and early March typically mark the tail end of the worst respiratory virus season, though activity doesn’t disappear overnight. Expect things to gradually improve through March, with pockets of high activity lingering in some regions longer than others.