Respiratory Virus Data

The respiratory virus data tool consists of surveillance dashboards and summary reports.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Key trends
Weekly summary – May 7, 2026

Respiratory virus activity in BC

Reporting period:  April 26 – May 2, 2026 (Epi-week 17) - O​p​e​n​ t​​​he​ ​week​l​y summary as a PDF​​​​

Respiratory virus data updates have shifted to a spring-summer schedule. This page will be updated on the first Thursday of each month.

Current respiratory activity is measured in consideration of recent past respiratory seasons.​

Influenza B activity remains elevated; influenza A, RSV, and COVID-19 are low.

Influenza

  • Influenza B test positivity remains elevated. Influenza A test positivity is low. Wastewater levels remain moderate-to-high for influenza B in most sites, with some recent decreases. Influenza A levels in wastewater are low across the province.

RSV 

  • RSV test positivity continues to decrease and is at low levels. Wastewater levels are stable or decreasing at low levels across the province.

COVID-19

  • SARS-CoV-2 test positivity remains low. Wastewater levels are stable or decreasing at low levels across the province. Severe outcomes remain low.

Health care visits

  • The proportions of emergency department and primary care visits for respiratory illness continue to decrease and are at low-to-moderate levels.

Special report now available​

  • ​Updated influenza strain characterization for the 2025/2026 influenza season (Jul 2025–Feb 2026)
    Key takeaway: The predominant influenza A (H1N1) subclade shifted from D.3.1 to D.3.1.1 over the course of the season. Among influenza A (H3N2) viruses, subclade K remained predominant and increased in proportion over time, accounting for all successfully sequenced viruses in February. All characterized H1N1 viruses were antigenically similar to the 2025–2026 Northern Hemisphere vaccine strain, whereas H3N2 subclade K viruses showed antigenic distinction from the vaccine reference strain.

National and international context

Influenza

  • In Canada, most indicators of influenza activity were low and stable in the most recent reporting week. Influenza B activity was stable while influenza A remained at interseasonal levels. Influenza B is circulating within expected levels for this time of year; however, trends vary by region.  
  • In the USA, seasonal influenza activity continues to decrease. Influenza A activity is low across all regions and influenza B activity continues to trend downward. 
  • In the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA), influenza activity has returned to inter-seasonal levels in almost all countries, with low levels of detections and hospitalisations reported in all age groups.​

RSV

  • In Canada, indicators of RSV activity were decreasing or stable in the most recent reporting week.
  • In the USA, RSV activity started later than expected in most regions, though illness is not more severe compared with recent seasons. RSV activity has peaked in many regions of the country. This unusual timing means higher levels of RSV activity may continue into May for some regions.​
  • In the EU/EEA, RSV circulation is low and returning to baseline levels.

COVID-19

  • In Canada, indicators of COVID-19 activity were stable or decreasing in the most recent reporting week. Indicators are at or near the lowest levels recorded this season.
  • In the USA, COVID-19 activity is low in most areas of the country.
  • In the EU/EEA, SARS-CoV-2 activity remains at very low levels in all countries and in all age groups.​
Dashboards

The respiratory virus dashboards display data for circulating viruses including influenza, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), enteroviruses/rhinoviruses, and others.

Updated weekly
Reports

2025/26 Respiratory Epidemiological Summaries and Special Reports

​Respiratory virus activity summary

Past season: 2024/25 Epidemiological Summaries and Special Reports
​​
​Respiratory virus activity in BC: Weekly Summary

Past season: 2023/24 Epidemiological Summaries and Special Reports

​COVID-19 Situation Report

  • COVID-19 Situation Report Archive - This report is an archive of the data previously included in the COVID-19 Situation Report dashboard, from January 1, 2020, to August 31, 2024.

Respiratory Epidemiological Summaries

Respiratory season surveillance reports summarize key insights for circulating viruses including influenza, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), enteroviruses/rhinoviruses (ERV), and others.​​

Special Reports

Historical reports
​
  • ​​2022/23 Respiratory Season Surveillance Report
    • ​The respiratory season report summarizes key insights from 28 August 2022 through to 22 April 2023. Following two years of relatively low non-COVID-19 respiratory illness activity in 2020/21 and 2021/22, the 2022/23 season is characterized by the return to seasonal respiratory virus co-circulation patterns, albeit with some atypical features.
  • Archived B.C. COVID-1​9 Data​

Technical Documents & Resources

​About the Respiratory Diseases data platform

The Respiratory Diseases data platform combines surveillance for COVID-19, influenza and other respiratory pathogens in one platform to monitor trends throughout the respiratory season. The platform is made up of a series of interactive online data pages.

The last respiratory data update of the season was published on May 4, 2023. Updates on influenza and other respiratory pathogens will resume in the fall.

COVID-19 updates will continue monthly throughout the spring and summer.

Changes to COVID-19 data system: May 4, 2023

The British Columbia (BC) COVID-19 surveillance system was updated on May 4, 2023 to use infection episodes of COVID-19 to capture multiple COVID-19 infections in the same person. The update to the system will also capture all hospital and critical care admissions and deaths in a person with a positive lab test. This is a shift from using a system of using first positive lab result for surveillance.

For detailed information about the update to the surveillance system and impact of the changes, read the technical document: BC COVID-19 Surveillance System Update: Infection episode-based approach​

National data 

​​​​​​​​​​​​


Tab Heading