No, there is not a new COVID-19 outbreak in the United States right now. As of late April 2026, every major indicator the CDC tracks shows COVID-19 activity at very low levels and trending downward.
Where COVID Numbers Stand Right Now
For the week ending April 25, 2026, the national test positivity rate sits at 1.1%, down from 1.4% the previous week. To put that in perspective, test positivity above 5% has historically signaled widespread transmission. At just over 1%, the current rate reflects minimal community spread.
Other key metrics tell the same story. Emergency department visits diagnosed as COVID-19 account for just 0.2% of all ER traffic. The hospitalization rate is 0.3 per 100,000 people, down from 0.5 the week before. And COVID-19 accounts for 0.2% of all deaths in the country, also declining. Every number is moving in the right direction.
What Wastewater Data Shows
Wastewater surveillance, which detects virus shed by a community before people even get tested, confirms the picture. The CDC’s national wastewater viral activity level for COVID-19 is 1.0, well within the “Very Low” category (anything up to 2.0). For comparison, the scale goes up to 7.8 or higher for “Very High” activity. This is about as quiet as COVID gets in the population.
Variants Currently Circulating
The virus hasn’t disappeared. Several Omicron-descended subvariants are circulating at low levels, and the World Health Organization is monitoring a handful of them. These include KP.3.1.1 (first detected in early 2024), NB.1.8.1, XFG, and BA.3.2. None has been designated a “variant of concern,” which would indicate a strain with significantly increased transmissibility or immune evasion. All remain classified as “variants under monitoring,” essentially on a watch list.
New subvariants will continue to emerge because that’s how coronaviruses evolve. But a new variant alone doesn’t equal an outbreak. What matters is whether a variant causes a measurable spike in hospitalizations or deaths, and none of the current ones are doing that.
Symptoms to Watch For
Even at low activity levels, people still catch COVID. Symptoms can appear anywhere from 2 to 14 days after exposure and typically include fever or chills, cough, sore throat, congestion, fatigue, and body aches. Some people still report losing their sense of taste or smell, though this has become less common with newer variants. Headache, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are also possible.
Most infections right now are mild, especially among people who have been vaccinated or previously infected. Seek emergency care if you experience trouble breathing, persistent chest pain or pressure, new confusion, or bluish discoloration of the lips or nail beds.
What to Do If You Test Positive
Current CDC guidance treats COVID-19 similarly to other respiratory viruses. If you test positive or have symptoms, stay home and away from others, including household members who aren’t sick, until your respiratory symptoms improve. Wearing a mask and keeping distance from others helps reduce the chance of spreading the virus once you start resuming normal activities.
Antiviral treatment is still available for people at higher risk of severe illness. The leading oral antiviral reduced hospitalization and death by 87% in clinical trials among high-risk, unvaccinated patients, and real-world studies during the Omicron era have continued to show benefit. A three-day intravenous antiviral option showed similar effectiveness. These treatments work best when started within the first few days of symptoms, so testing early matters if you’re in a higher-risk group.
Why You Might Be Seeing Headlines
Searches for new COVID outbreaks tend to spike whenever a new variant is named, a regional cluster makes local news, or seasonal patterns shift. It’s worth knowing that COVID activity in the U.S. has followed a rough seasonal pattern in recent years, with surges typically peaking in winter and sometimes showing a smaller bump in late summer. Spring has generally been a low point, which aligns with where things stand now.
The tools for catching a real surge early are better than ever. Wastewater monitoring covers hundreds of sites nationwide and can detect rising viral levels days before hospitalizations climb. If a genuine outbreak develops, those numbers will move first. Right now, they’re flat and low.