Public Health Info: Respiratory Illness Surveillance Report for week ending 1_11_25

Updated:
January 21, 2026
Published:
January 17, 2025

What You Need To Know

Below please find the Respiratory Illness Surveillance Report. This report summarizes surveillance information for COVID-19, influenza, RSV, and other respiratory illnesses.

Report Highlights:

  • Emergency department visits and hospital admissions remain elevated for COVID-19, influenza, and RSV, though hospital admissions for influenza and RSV have decreased since last week. Overall, emergency department visits and hospitalizations for respiratory illness are lower than this time last year.Seasonal human influenza activity remains elevated across most of the country and the state.
  • Recent COVID-19, influenza, and RSV hospitalizations are mostly in persons 65 years and older, though RSV hospitalizations continue to be elevated in the 0–4-year age group. The number of influenza-associated deaths has been increasing over the past month; none have been reported in children.
  • Detections of COVID-19, influenza A, and RSV in wastewater have been increasing over the past month, with the sharpest increases in influenza A and RSV. COVID-19 levels, while elevated, are lower than the summer 2024 peak.
  • The predominant COVID-19 variants continue to be XEC and KP.3.1.1, with XEC increasing in proportion. Both are covered by the 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccine. The predominant circulating influenza A subtype is 2009 H1N1, consistent with the 2023-24 season and is included in the 2024-25 influenza vaccine.
  • Respiratory outbreaks reported by K-12 schools thus far this month are primarily due to influenza. Respiratory outbreaks reported in long-term care facilities continue to be primarily due to COVID-19 and influenza.

Please contact the Communicable Disease Service (CDS) at 609-826-5964 with questions about the report. This report is posted at https://www.nj.gov/health/respiratory-viruses/data-and-reports/.

For additional information, visit the NJDOH CDS Respiratory Illness Dashboard: https://www.nj.gov/health/respiratory-viruses/data-and-reports/#respiratory-illness-dashboard.
For information on respiratory vaccine coverage in long-term care (LTC) facilities, visit the NJDOH CDS Vaccination Coverage in NJ LTC Facilities Dashboard: https://www.nj.gov/health/ltc/home/dashboard.shtml.