In most U.S. states, respiratory illness levels are currently considered “high” or “very high,” according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A few respiratory viruses have been driving the upward trend. “The influenza virus is the thing that’s really skyrocketing right now,” says Dr. Steven Stack, public health commissioner for the state of Kentucky and president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. “Influenza is sharply escalating and driving more hospitalizations.”