What's Going Around Right Now? August 2026 Weekly Update

The 15-Second Answer

If someone asks what is going around right now in the United States, the most useful short answer is:

• Flu is low nationally, but still present. The latest CDC FluView/ILINet signal is 1.1% outpatient visits for flu-like illness for the week ending August 22, 2026, similar to 0.9% the week before.
• COVID-19 and RSV hospital signals are low nationally. The latest CDC NHSN hospital data is also for the week ending August 22, 2026: COVID-19 is 0.8 new admissions per 100K and RSV is 0.1 new admissions per 100K.
• Measles case activity remains elevated nationally. Through August 20, 2026, CDC reports 2,777 confirmed cases across 47 jurisdictions and 36 outbreaks in 2026. The JHU tracker provides a separate, approximate state-detail view; state and local health departments remain the authority for current exposure guidance.
• Local searches are still city-led. If the question is about San Antonio, Austin, San Diego, Phoenix, Houston, Los Angeles, Portland, Dallas, Philadelphia, Rochester, Chicago, or another city, open the city page first and then drill into flu, COVID-19, RSV, measles, or travel context.

If you only click one thing after this post, start with the state overview pages or the city directory so the broad national answer turns into the right local page.

What Matters Most This Week

1. Flu Is Quiet Nationally, Not a Zero

The national flu wave has cooled, and the current CDC FluView signal is low. That does not mean every cough is explainable from one national number, and it does not mean state reporting gaps should be treated as zero flu.

Good next pages:

• National flu dashboard for the full state map
• New Jersey flu activity and California flu activity for the highest current reporting-state signals in this week’s data
• Louisiana flu activity because it gives a clear state flu answer with source context
• Oregon flu activity when the important point is the CDC FluView reporting gap, not a fake zero

2. Measles Still Deserves the Deliberate Check

Measles is not the most common illness most people will run into this week, but it is still the signal most likely to change a school, travel, exposure, or vaccination-context conversation.

Through August 20, CDC reports 2,777 confirmed cases across 47 jurisdictions and 36 outbreaks in 2026. The state links below use the JHU tracker’s approximate state-detail view, which currently places South Carolina, Texas, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Florida among the largest tracked totals. Confirm formal outbreak and exposure status with the relevant health department.

Good next pages:

• National measles tracker for the full state list
• South Carolina measles tracker, Texas measles tracker, and Utah measles tracker for high-count state examples
• MMR coverage by state when the real question is vaccination context
• What does one measles case mean? when you need proportionate framing

3. COVID-19 and RSV Need Source-Scope Honesty

COVID-19 and RSV have not disappeared, but the current LHS hospital pages use weekly CDC NHSN hospital admissions, not live case counts, outpatient visits, or wastewater. The latest complete source week is August 22, 2026, so check that date before treating the number as a same-day local spread signal.

Good next pages:

• COVID-19 dashboard for the latest available hospital signal by state
• RSV dashboard for the latest available RSV hospital signal by state
• What does moderate COVID activity mean? for source-scope interpretation
• What does stable RSV activity mean? when “stable” sounds like “gone” but does not mean that

4. City Pages Are the Fastest Local Starting Point

The strongest current local demand is still around city snapshots. Start with the city overview when the question names a place, then follow the topic links on that page if the real question is flu, COVID-19, RSV, measles, water quality, or travel.

Good next pages:

• San Diego health snapshot and Portland health snapshot because both offer clear current local snapshots and useful next links
• San Antonio health snapshot and Austin health snapshot for strong Texas local demand
• What is going around near me? when you want the finder first
• Travel Health Check when the question is about a trip

The Fastest Way To Use Local Health Signal

Use this site in three steps:

1. Start with the homepage, state overviews, or city pages.
2. Open flu, COVID-19, RSV, or measles only after you know which signal matters.
3. Use the Travel Health Check when the question is about a trip.
4. Use the question bank when the source scope or next click is unclear.

Source Notes

This roundup uses CDC FluView/ILINet through August 22 for flu outpatient ILI percentage, CDC NHSN Hospital Respiratory Data through August 22 for COVID-19 and RSV hospital admissions, CDC surveillance through August 20 for the national measles total and formal outbreak count, and the Johns Hopkins tracker for approximate state detail. These are public surveillance signals, not a diagnosis, medical advice, or a same-day exact local measurement. For personal medical decisions, use a healthcare professional or local health department guidance.

If You Need One Link To Send Someone

Send this page for the broad national snapshot, then send the state, city, or travel page for the specific decision. The point is not to diagnose anyone from a dashboard. The point is to get from a broad “what’s going around?” question to the most honest local or topic-specific public signal quickly.