New CDC Respiratory Virus Tracker Provides Local Forecasts

The new tool helps residents track regional COVID-19, flu, and RSV growth probabilities to better understand local virus risks.

Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Asthma

Bold vector illustration of a topographical map with abstract rising waves, representing a national respiratory virus forecasting tool. — The CDC launched a new respiratory virus tracker providing localized growth forecasts for COVID-19, influenza, and RSV across the United States. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you find localized outbreak tracking data helpful for managing your personal health decisions?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched a new respiratory virus tracking website to monitor COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus. The tool provides outbreak growth probability estimates at state and community levels to help track regional trends.

Why it matters

This resource aims to provide earlier warnings by predicting respiratory virus outbreaks two to three weeks sooner at the state level than previous reporting methods. Access to these local projections can help the public understand the timing of peak virus activity in their area.

The tracker provides growth probability estimates, including a 99% influenza growth rate for Missouri and 34 hospital admissions in the state during early October. The accuracy and predictive utility of these models for nationwide respiratory virus trends remain under evaluation.

The players

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The national public health agency responsible for tracking respiratory virus trends and issuing health guidance.

The details

The platform functions by analyzing and estimating epidemic trends to forecast peak virus activity. By calculating the likelihood of growth for viruses like COVID-19 and influenza, the system generates localized risk data. This approach allows health officials to observe patterns in specific regions, such as Boone and Callaway counties, before they escalate into wider outbreaks.

October 1, 2026: The official start of the flu season.
Early October 2026: The CDC launched the new respiratory virus tracker website.
First week of October 2026: Missouri recorded 34 hospital admissions for influenza.

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Health Landscape

This tracker represents an evolution in public health surveillance, moving from reactive case counting to predictive modeling. It builds on the long-standing data collection infrastructure of the CDC National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System.

Readers can use the tool to monitor local growth probabilities for common respiratory viruses, which may help in planning preventive behaviors. It is worth discussing with your doctor how local virus trends might affect your specific health needs or existing respiratory management plans.

The takeaway

The CDC's new tracker offers a way to monitor the probability of viral growth in your community to help you stay informed during respiratory season. Consider checking your local data trends and consulting your physician about recommended preventive measures based on current activity levels.