CBS News COVID, flu hospitalizations remained steady compared to last week.
Half of all states are seeing high levels of respiratory virus activity, new federal data updated Friday shows.
Currently, 25 states plus New York City and Washington, D.C., are experiencing “high” or “very high” levels of respiratory illness activity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
While this is higher than the 23 states experiencing “high” or “very high” activity levels last week, it is fewer than the peak of 38 states reporting “high’ or ‘very high’ levels the week ending Dec. 30.
Respiratory illness activity is defined as people going to the doctor with symptoms including fever and a cough and/or sore throat from any respiratory disease including flu, COVID, RSV, and the common cold.
New weekly COVID hospitalizations remained steady with 21,373 recorded the week ending Feb. 10, slightly up from 21,204 the week ending Feb. 3. Despite the uptick, COVID hospitalizations remain lower than the same time last year.