Yes, several illnesses are circulating right now. As of late February 2026, seasonal flu remains the most widespread respiratory virus in the United States, with a test positivity rate of 15.8%. RSV is moderate and increasing in some regions, while COVID-19 activity is declining nationally but still elevated in certain areas. Norovirus, the most common cause of stomach bugs, is also in its peak season.
Flu Is the Dominant Virus Right Now
Influenza is the illness most likely behind what you’re seeing in your community. Nearly 16% of flu tests are coming back positive, and 2.5% of emergency department visits nationally are for influenza. Influenza A has been the primary strain but is decreasing in most areas, while influenza B trends vary by region. For context, CDC data from late December showed that 6% of all outpatient visits were for respiratory illness with fever plus cough or sore throat, roughly double the national baseline of 3.1%.
Flu symptoms typically appear one to four days after exposure. You’re most contagious during the first three days of illness. The classic package is fever, chills, body aches, cough, sore throat, and fatigue. Most healthy adults recover within a week, though the exhaustion can linger.
COVID-19 Is Low but Still Around
COVID-19 activity is decreasing nationally, with a test positivity rate of 3.8% and wastewater viral levels rated as low. The downward trend has been steady since early January 2026, when wastewater levels were nearly twice what they are now. That said, some areas of the country still have elevated activity, so local conditions may differ from the national picture.
COVID symptoms overlap heavily with flu: fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue, body aches, and congestion. The distinguishing features tend to be a longer incubation period (two to five days, sometimes up to 14) and a longer contagious window. People with COVID can spread the virus starting two to three days before symptoms appear and remain contagious for roughly eight days after symptoms start. Loss of taste or smell, while less common than in earlier pandemic waves, still occurs more often with COVID than with flu.
RSV Is Rising in Some Regions
RSV activity is moderate nationally and increasing in parts of the country, with a test positivity rate of 9.1%. RSV tends to cause cold-like symptoms in older children and adults, including runny nose, cough, and low-grade fever. It’s rarely severe for healthy adults, but it can be dangerous for infants, young children, and older adults.
Children under five are hit hardest. Hospital surveillance data from recent seasons shows that 91% of pediatric RSV hospitalizations occurred in kids under five, and infants under six months were hospitalized for RSV at rates 12 to 18 times higher than for flu. If you have a baby or toddler with worsening cough, wheezing, or difficulty breathing, RSV is worth considering.
Stomach Bugs Are in Peak Season
If the illness going around your household or workplace involves vomiting and diarrhea rather than cough and congestion, norovirus is the likely culprit. Norovirus peaks between December and March each year. During the current 2025-2026 season through early February, 644 outbreaks have been reported by participating states. That’s within the normal historical range, though lower than the 1,707 outbreaks reported during the same window last season.
Norovirus spreads incredibly easily through contaminated food, surfaces, and close contact with sick people. Symptoms hit fast, usually 12 to 48 hours after exposure, and include sudden vomiting, watery diarrhea, nausea, and stomach cramps. Most people recover in one to three days. Handwashing with soap and water is more effective than hand sanitizer against norovirus, since alcohol-based products don’t kill it as reliably.
Strep Throat Is Worth Watching
Strep throat isn’t tracked in weekly dashboards the same way respiratory viruses are, but it’s a constant presence during cold and flu season. Group A strep causes an estimated 5.2 million outpatient visits per year in the U.S. among people under 65, leading to about 2.8 million antibiotic prescriptions annually. Rates of serious group A strep infections have been climbing since 2014 and reached a 20-year high in preliminary 2023 data.
Strep throat feels different from a viral illness. The hallmarks are a sudden, severe sore throat without much cough or congestion, often accompanied by fever, swollen lymph nodes, and sometimes white patches on the tonsils. A rapid strep test can confirm it, and antibiotics clear the infection within a day or two of starting treatment.
How to Tell What You Have
The overlap between respiratory viruses makes it hard to tell them apart by symptoms alone. A few patterns can help narrow things down:
- Mostly cough, body aches, and high fever: Flu is the most likely cause right now given how widespread it is. Symptoms tend to come on suddenly.
- Gradual onset with congestion, mild fever, and loss of taste or smell: COVID-19 is more likely, though at-home rapid tests can confirm.
- Cold-like symptoms with wheezing, especially in young children: RSV fits this pattern. Adults with RSV often just feel like they have a bad cold.
- Vomiting and diarrhea without respiratory symptoms: Norovirus or another stomach virus. These tend to be intense but short-lived.
- Sore throat without cough: Strep throat is a strong possibility, especially in children.
Measles Is Also on the Radar
The CDC has an active measles outbreak alert dating from January 2025. While measles doesn’t spread as broadly as flu or COVID in well-vaccinated communities, outbreaks have occurred in areas with lower vaccination rates. Measles starts with high fever, cough, runny nose, and red eyes, followed a few days later by a distinctive rash that begins on the face and spreads downward. It’s highly contagious. If you or your child haven’t received the MMR vaccine and have been exposed to a confirmed case, that’s a situation that calls for prompt medical attention.
Practical Steps to Protect Yourself
Updated flu and COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for everyone six months and older. September and October are the ideal months to get vaccinated before respiratory season peaks, but getting vaccinated later in the season still offers protection while viruses are circulating. For infants and young children, RSV immunization options are also available.
Beyond vaccination, the basics still matter. Wash your hands frequently, especially after being in public spaces or caring for someone who’s sick. Stay home when you have a fever. Clean shared surfaces during stomach bug outbreaks. If you’re unsure whether you have flu or COVID, at-home test kits for both are widely available at pharmacies and can help guide your next steps.