Pennsylvania, U.S. See Drop in Flu Cases

January 20, 2026

Flu activity continues to decrease in Pennsylvania and the U.S., but it’s too early to say if we’ve passed the peak of the season.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Flu trends:  The flu is decreasing rapidly in Pennsylvania. Reports of flu A declined from a high 14,271 earlier this month to 7,508 last week.
  • There were 1,971 new adult hospital admissions for the week ending January 10, including 195 new pediatric hospital admissions.
  • There have been 9,732 adult and 1,858 pediatric admissions since the start of the season.
  • The percentage of emergency department visits with the flu also is at moderate levels (3.24%).
• RSV, COVID-19:  RSV and COVID-19 both decreased slightly last week, and emergency department visits are at low levels across ages for both viruses.
• U.S. stats:  The CDC’s in-season severity tracking has labeled this a moderate severity year. Across the ages, the pediatric group has had a high severity season, and adult and older adult age groups are in the moderate severity category.
  • The CDC estimates there have been 18,000,000 illnesses, 230,000 hospitalizations, and 9,300 deaths from flu so far this season.
• Two peaks?:  The flu season can be unpredictable and have multiple “peak periods.” Last flu season saw a decline in January before flu hit its highest levels in February, peaking at just under 29,000 cases.
• Dominant strain:  About 91 percent of the viruses the CDC collected for additional genetic testing belonged to subclade K.

HAP encourages everyone to take the proper precautions during the winter respiratory virus season to keep you and your family healthy. For the latest information, view these resources from the Department of Health and the CDC.