Trends show flu activity remains high and is rising in many areas of the country, with increases in flu found in wastewater samples, the number of positive flu tests and flu-related visits to the emergency room. As of the week ending on Jan. 18, the percentage of tests that came back positive for the flu was 25%, up from 19% the week before. Emergency departments are also seeing an increasing number of people sick with flu, especially babies, older children and teens. Of overall visits to the ER, 5.2% were for the flu and were close to reaching the surge hospitals saw before the winter holidays. Hospitals rely on the CDC’s weekly update to prepare for what’s coming their way, especially because flu is notoriously unpredictable.

UW Health says it’s seeing a spike in people being hospitalized for influenza, while COVID-19 and RSV cases are also on the rise in Wisconsin. According to UW Health, 40 people have been hospitalized for influenza symptoms from mid-December to mid-January. That’s the highest number on record for them in the past three years. “There’s probably some influence of your own body of being just a little bit more susceptible in the winter when it’s cold. But probably has more to do with a lot of interactions between humans,” says Dr. Dan Shirley, the medical director for infection prevention at UW Health.nSSM Health St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac is also seeing a rise in patients needing care.

A 'quad-demic' of winter illnesses is surging throughout the South, Midwest, and parts of the Northeast, according to official data. Four viral infections - flu, Covid, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and norovirus - have surged in the US, infecting 15million Americans and killing 30,000 so far this winter. The rise in the illnesses, which experts have dubbed a 'quad-demic,' has put a strain on the US health system, leading some hospitals to bring back mask mandates and limit visiting hours to prevent the spread.

The S.C. Department of Public Health says 356 people were hospitalized and three people died in one week. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said South Carolina is experiencing very high levels of the flu. Local doctors said it's actually common. The reason is a typical spike in cases in the early months of the year.

The three main diseases in the current surge are flu, COVID-19 and a virus called RSV. “It is not too late to receive a flu vaccine. Even though we may be peaking or close to peaking, we often have declines and then spring waves as well.”