CDC reports flu's slight rise in children; RSV up, COVID levels remain low

US flu activity continues slight rise in children as COVID levels remain low As flu test positivity crept upward, emergency department visits increased slightly among children and adolescents. CIDRAP

Percent positivity for flu has trended upward over the past few weeks but is still low, at 1.6% at clinical labs, where nearly 93% of detections are influenza A. Meanwhile, emergency department visits for flu increased slightly among children and adolescents....

"Across the nation, COVID-19 infections are predicted to decline in some states, and grow slowly from a low level in others," the agency said. Wastewater detections are still at the low level and are highest in the Midwest. ...

In other respiratory illness tracking, the CDC said respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity is elevated and continues to increase in the East and South and is trending upward in the Central region, especially in young children. Also, infections caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae ("walking pneumonia") continue to rise in the younger age-groups. ...