Summary: Week of 3/7/26
The respiratory season is winding down, but not all viruses are exiting at the same time. RSV appears to be at or near its peak, while influenza B continues to grow in wastewater from Biobot’s national network. That makes this an unusual late-season moment—RSV arrived later and lingered longer than last year, and flu b is substantially higher than typical. Thankfully, COVID-19 continues to decline and flu A is likely nearing the end of its season too.
The Bottom Line: We are still in the respiratory season. While Covid and flu A are declining, RSV and flu B remain high enough to matter—especially for older adults, pregnant women, infants, and people with weakened immune systems, who are all at higher risk of severe illness. For those groups, layering protections is still a good idea, whether that’s wearing a mask at the grocery store or on the train this week, or improving indoor ventilation with fans or air purifiers. Rapid flu and COVID tests are now available at many pharmacies, so testing early can help people get treatment sooner.
National Outlook
COVID-19
Nationally, SARS-CoV-2 is decreasing.
Influenza
Nationally, influenza A is decreasing while influenza B continues to increase.
RSV
Nationally, RSV is increasing but likely at or near its peak.
Regional Outlook
The South
COVID-19: SARS-CoV-2 is decreasing in the South.
Influenza: Influenza A is decreasing in the South while influenza B is increasing.
RSV: RSV is increasing again in the South.
The Midwest
COVID-19: SARS-CoV-2 is decreasing in the Midwest.
Influenza: Influenza A is holding steady in the Midwest, while influenza B is increasing.
RSV: RSV is slightly increasing in the Midwest.
The Northeast
COVID-19: SARS-CoV-2 is decreasing in the Northeast.
Influenza: Influenza A is decreasing in the Northeast, while influenza B is holding steady.
RSV: RSV is increasing in the Northeast.
The West
COVID-19: SARS-CoV-2 is decreasing in the West.
Influenza: Influenza A is decreasing in the West, while influenza B is holding steady.
RSV: RSV is decreasing in the West.
Footnotes:
We continue to monitor the evolving H5N1 influenza virus situation, and can now test samples specifically for H5 (including H5N1) — please reach out to hello@biobot.io if interested. A quick reminder that Biobot’s influenza A assay described in this report includes the H5N1 influenza subtype, which is an influenza A virus, but does not distinguish between the different subtypes of influenza A (e.g. H5N1 vs H1N1). We will share any important updates as we have them. Wastewater data from Biobot Analytics for RSV, influenza, and SARS-CoV-2 are through March 7, 2026 (MMWR week 9).