U.S. hospitals should plan for a winter respiratory peak about as heavy as last season's, according to the CDC's outlook for the 2026–2027 season, which the agency's October 16 respiratory illness update continues to point to. The CDC expects the combined peak in hospitalizations from COVID-19, flu, and RSV to be within 20% of last season's peak, with low to moderate confidence.
The update arrives as flu activity runs ahead of the usual calendar. In the week ending October 10, 5.0% of clinical lab specimens tested positive for influenza, up from 3.9% the week before, according to the CDC's FluView report, with the highest activity on the West Coast. National activity remains low overall.