What's Going Around in Oakland?

Fast local read for Oakland, powered by California surveillance plus city context lower on the page — August 2026

Fast answer

What matters first in Oakland

For a quick "what illness, virus, or sickness is going around in Oakland?" check, start with the weekly respiratory picture. COVID-19 is the strongest weekly respiratory signal at moderate for the week ending Aug 22, 2026 in California statewide surveillance. Public dashboards do not identify every ordinary cold or local cluster. Measles appears separately as approximate statewide case context, not a Oakland case count or formal outbreak determination.

Strongest weekly respiratory signal

COVID-19

Moderate • 1.2 per 100K

Week ending Aug 22, 2026

Stable — similar to 1.0 per 100K last week

Flu

Low, 1.8% ILI, similar to 1.6% last week

Week ending Aug 22, 2026

RSV

Low, 0.0 per 100K, similar to 0.0 per 100K last week

Week ending Aug 22, 2026

COVID-19

Moderate, 1.2 per 100K, similar to 1.0 per 100K last week

Week ending Aug 22, 2026

Measles (statewide)

28 cases in the current state tracker view

Approximate California tracker • report through Aug 21, 2026

Not a Oakland case count or formal outbreak status.

Spread signal

California statewide surveillance

City context

CDC PLACES 2022

Best use

Fast local read before deeper charts

Practical Steps for This Signal

COVID is circulating — everyday precautions help

  • Stay up to date on COVID boosters, especially if you're over 65 or high-risk
  • If you are sick, stay home until symptoms are improving overall and you have been fever-free without medication for at least 24 hours; then use added precautions for 5 days
  • Test if you develop symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue, body aches)
  • Wash hands frequently and improve indoor ventilation when possible

These general steps pair Local Health Signal's interpretation of the reported public-health signal with CDC prevention guidance. They are not a personal risk assessment or medical advice. Talk to your healthcare provider about what's right for you and your family.

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Useful questions

Questions that make the Oakland page easier to use

These are the pages that explain fast reading, source scope, and page choice without making the main city answer any noisier.

Source and context

Where this city page data comes from

Updated

Latest respiratory week: Aug 22, 2026; measles state report: Aug 21, 2026

Coverage

State-level disease surveillance plus slower city-level community context

Best For

Quick local infectious-disease orientation before deeper chart review

Use the top half of this page for the latest statewide signals relevant to Oakland, not exact city case counts. Public dashboards do not identify every ordinary cold or local cluster. The lower community-context section is older CDC PLACES data about respiratory burden and access to care, included to explain possible impact rather than current spread.

Methods →Data sources →Refresh cadence: Weekly for infectious-disease feeds; annual for CDC PLACES context

Secondary context

Community context that can change impact

This does not tell you what is spreading this week. Because covid-19 is the strongest reported weekly respiratory signal, this context helps explain who could feel that respiratory wave harder in Oakland. The measures below use CDC PLACES city estimates from 2022.

CDC PLACES source →

Respiratory burden

10.1%

Asthma

Higher asthma prevalence can mean more people feel respiratory surges harder.

Chronic lung disease

4.6%

COPD

COPD can raise the stakes when respiratory infections rise, especially for older adults.

Access to care

10.2%

Uninsured

Higher uninsured rates can make prevention, testing, and treatment harder to reach quickly.

Preventive care reach

71.6%

Annual Checkup

Routine checkups make vaccination, follow-up, and early care easier when illness is spreading.

See the full city context dataset14 more measures

Chronic Conditions

11.4%
Diabetes
27.3%
Obesity
5.4%
Cancer
4.9%
Heart Disease
3.1%
Stroke
29.4%
High BP
29.8%
High Cholesterol

Mental Health

20.9%
Depression
17.6%
Poor Mental Health

Health Behaviors

11.3%
Smoking
16.7%
Binge Drinking
23.0%
Inactive
36.3%
Sleep Deprived

Prevention & Access

62.5%
Dental Visit

More Cities in California

Compare this snapshot with other major cities in California.

All city pages →

Frequently Asked Questions

What illnesses are going around in Oakland, California right now?

COVID-19 is the strongest weekly respiratory signal at moderate for the week ending Aug 22, 2026 in California statewide surveillance. Public dashboards do not identify every ordinary cold or local cluster. Measles is shown separately as 28 cases in the current state tracker view in the approximate California tracker through Aug 21, 2026; that is not a Oakland case count or formal outbreak status.

Is the flu bad in Oakland right now?

Flu activity in California (which includes Oakland) is currently low with 1.8% ILI. A current CDC Rt direction estimate is unavailable; use the weekly ILINet trend on the state flu page. See the California flu page for weekly trend charts.

Why does this page include city-level community context?

The lower community-context section does not show what is spreading this week. It uses CDC PLACES (2022 data) to show slower-moving local vulnerability and access-to-care patterns in Oakland, such as asthma burden or uninsured adults, so the infection data has clearer local context.

Does Oakland have its own health data, or is this state-level?

This page combines two types of public-health data. Flu, COVID-19, RSV, and measles use California statewide surveillance as context relevant to Oakland; they are not exact Oakland case counts. The lower community-context section adds slower Oakland-specific CDC PLACES estimates about respiratory vulnerability and access to care. Public dashboards can miss ordinary colds and small local clusters, so use local health-department notices for confirmed local events.

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Local Health Signal is not affiliated with the CDC or any government agency. Data is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended for clinical decision making. See our methods page for details on data sources and limitations.