Washoe County’s flu activity remains high, despite recent declines.
Northern Nevada Public Health also says flu hospitalizations remain elevated, with some slight declines.
An additional five more flu-related deaths have been reported since the NNPH's last update. Most of the deaths involved adults aged 65 and older, and all were at least 50 years of age.
RSV case rates have been also increasing – across all age groups.
COVID-19 activity remains low with hospitalizations affecting mostly people aged 65 and older.
Respiratory Update: Flu activity remains high, despite recent declines. RSV activity is increasing. COVID-19 activity remains low. More data: https://t.co/ghwYal6WqR
— Northern Nevada Public Health (@NNPH_Org) January 17, 2026
Get vaccinated at a local pharmacy or our clinic (kids & uninsured) by calling 775-328-2402 to schedule appt. pic.twitter.com/SzCUVKIrbB
Meanwhile, overall, the U.S. flu season appears to be waning with two straight weeks of decline in measures of flu activity, according to the latest government data.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted data — for flu activity through last week — that showed a big drop in flu hospitalizations and a smaller but significant decrease in medical office visits due to flu-like illness.
The number of states reporting high flu activity also fell — from 44 to 36.
There have not been large surges in two other winter menaces — COVID-19 and RSV.
CDC officials are calling the current respiratory virus season “moderate.” But that doesn't mean the season is over, especially for flu. Second surges in flu activity often occur after the winter holidays.
Medical experts have worried about this season because it has been dominated by a kind of flu virus, called A H3N2, that historically causes the most hospitalizations and deaths in older people.
Even more concerning, about 90% of the H3N2 infections analyzed this season were a new strain that differs from the version accounted for in this year’s flu shots.
So far this season, there have been at least 18 million flu illnesses and 230,000 hospitalizations, according to the CDC. The agency also estimates there have been 9,300 deaths from flu so far, including at least 32 children. For those children whose vaccination status is known, 90% were not fully vaccinated against flu.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
