Respiratory Virus Data

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

Respiratory virus data are updated weekly on Thursdays.

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Key trends

March 12, 2026

Respiratory virus activity in BC

Reporting period:  March 1-7, 2026 (Epi-week 9)​ - O​p​e​n t​​he​ ​week​l​y summary as a PDF​​

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

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

Influenza

  • Influenza A test positivity remains low. Influenza B test positivity continues to increase and is elevated. Wastewater levels are low for influenza A across the province. Influenza B levels in wastewater continue to increase in some sites.

RSV 

  • RSV test positivity remains elevated. Wastewater levels are stable and remain in the low-to-moderate range in most sites.

COVID-19

  • SARS-CoV-2 test positivity remains stable and low. Wastewater levels are low-to-moderate, with gradual increases in some sites. Severe outcomes remain low.

Health care visits

  • ​The proportions of emergency department and primary care visits for respiratory illness remain at moderate levels.

Statement

National and international context

Influenza

  • In Canada, indicators of influenza activity were either stable or decreasing in the most recent reporting week. Influenza A and B are now co-dominating with influenza A activity gradually decreasing while influenza B gradually increases. However, trends vary by region.  
  • In the USA, seasonal influenza activity remains elevated. Influenza A activity is decreasing in most areas of the country while trends in influenza B activity vary by region. 
  • In the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA), influenza circulation, while still widespread, continues to decrease in most countries, with over half now reporting baseline or low intensity levels. Hospitalisations are also decreasing, with adults aged 65 years and above accounting for most admissions.​

RSV

  • In Canada, indicators of RSV activity were either stable or decreasing in the most recent reporting week. RSV activity is occurring later than in recent seasons; although levels are currently elevated, they remain below the peaks observed in some recent seasons.
  • In the USA, RSV activity has started later than expected in most regions, though severity is not higher compared with recent seasons. This atypical season indicates that higher levels of RSV activity may continue into April in many regions. Emergency department visits and hospitalisations for RSV are highest among infants and children less than 4 years old.
  • In the EU/EEA, RSV circulation remains high but has begun to slowly decline. RSV hospitalisations appear to have peaked overall, but not in children under five years old, who continue to account for most admissions.​

COVID-19

  • In Canada, indicators of COVID-19 activity were either stable or decreasing in the most recent reporting week.  
  • In the USA, COVID-19 activity is decreasing nationally but remains elevated in some areas of the country. 
  • In the EU/EEA, SARS-CoV-2 circulation remains low in all age groups, with very few hospitalisations reported. ​

We are interested in knowing if you have found the information on the Wastewater Surveillance dashboard​ useful. You can complete a five to 10-minute survey on your experience​ for a chance to win a small gift.


Dashboards

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

2025/26 Respiratory Epidemiological Summaries and Special Reports

​Respiratory virus activity summary

Past season: 2024/25 Epidemiological Summaries and Special Reports
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​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
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  • ​​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 

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