What You Need To Know
Below please find the NJDOH 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, and while visits have decreased for COVID-19 and RSV, they have continued to increase for influenza since last week. Overall, emergency department visits and hospitalizations for respiratory illness are lower than this time last year.
- Recent COVID-19, influenza, and RSV hospitalizations have mostly been reported in persons 65 years and older, though RSV hospitalizations continue to also be elevated in the 0-4 year age group. The number of influenza-associated deaths remains elevated 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 slight dips in RSV and the sharpest increase in influenza A. COVID-19 levels, while elevated, remains 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. Similar to the 2023-24 season, the predominant circulating influenza A subtype is 2009 H1N1, and is included in the 2024-25 influenza vaccine.
- Respiratory outbreaks reported by K-12 schools so far this month have been primarily due to influenza and outbreaks reported in long-term care facilities continue to primarily be due to COVID-19 and influenza.
Please contact the Communicable Disease Service (CDS) at 609-826-5964 with questions about the report.
For additional information, visit the NJDOH CDS Respiratory Illness Dashboard and the NJDOH CDS Vaccination Coverage in NJ LTC Facilities Dashboard.