Respiratory Disease Data

Respiratory Illness Dashboard

VDH updates these data each week on Tuesday. Data are preliminary and subject to change as additional data are received.

Welcome to the Respiratory Illness Dashboard. This interactive tool uses data from emergency department visits, death certificates, laboratory and outbreak reports, and vaccination records. These data are used to track trends in Virginia for respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, flu (influenza), and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus).

To see local data for your community, visit the Detailed Emergency Visits dashboard.

Click below each graph to learn more about the data. Use this survey to submit feedback about the dashboard.

Learn how to protect yourself and others from respiratory viruses.

Weekly Summary

Emergency department (ED) visit data can be one of the fastest ways to spot changing trends in respiratory virus spread. This summary uses ED data to categorize the activity level and trends for respiratory illnesses in Virginia. The level (minimal, low, moderate, high, very high, and extremely high) compares the current season to peaks of previous seasons. The trend (trending down, stable, and trending up) represents change compared to the previous week. The percent of ED visits for diagnosed COVID-19, flu, and RSV shows the proportion out of all ED visits.

Respiratory Illness Activity

Respiratory illness activity tracks the number of visits to the emergency department for viral illnesses such as COVID-19, flu, and RSV and other respiratory illnesses such as cough and pneumonia. These visits can signal changes in respiratory illness activity in the community. They also help represent the burden on healthcare systems. Data are shown as a percent of all reported emergency department visits by week for the current season and two previous respiratory seasons. Find your region in Virginia using this map.

Data are interactive. Hover over the lines and map to see more information.

Emergency Department Visits

Emergency department (ED) visits show changes in COVID-19, flu, and RSV in the community. ED visits also show us which age groups are the most affected. Data are shown as a percent of all reported ED visits by week. To see local data for your community, visit the Detailed Emergency Visits dashboard.

Data are interactive. Make a selection from the filter to change the visualization and hover over the lines to see more information. 

Deaths

Death Data

Monitoring the number of deaths with COVID-19, flu, or RSV listed on the death certificate helps monitor the impact of severe illness and outcomes from respiratory viruses. Virginia reviews death certificates for the cause-of-death coding. There is a delay between a rise in cases and corresponding rise in deaths, as well as an additional delay in death certificate coding.  Influenza-associated pediatric mortality is a reportable condition. Only the child's age group and geographic region are publicly reported to maintain privacy and sensitivity. 

Data are interactive. Make a selection from the filter to change the visualization on the right. Hover over the graphs to see more information. 

Labs and Outbreaks

Laboratory Testing

Lab data helps us see trends for which viruses are circulating. Only certain lab results are reported to VDH, so only a subset of people testing positive for respiratory viruses are represented when reviewing these trends. Lab data is especially important to monitor flu subtypes and the changing variant landscape for the virus that causes COVID-19.

Data are interactive. Hover over the bars to see more information.

Outbreaks

Respiratory diseases can spread easily from person-to-person and frequently cause outbreaks. Public health officials support facilities responding to outbreaks to help control and limit disease spread. Tracking trends to see where outbreaks are occurring can help inform public health practice.

Data are interactive. Make a selection from the filter to change the visualization and hover over the bars to see more information. 

Vaccinations

Vaccination Data

Staying up to date on recommended vaccinations reduces the risk of illness from respiratory viruses and of serious outcomes from respiratory viruses. Everyone 6 months of age and older is recommended to receive an updated COVID-19 and flu vaccine. RSV immunizations are also recommended to protect older adults as well as infants and young children. To see detailed vaccine data, visit the COVID-19 & Flu Vaccinations dashboard, RSV <1 Years Old Immunizations dashboard, or the RSV 60+ Years Old Vaccinations dashboard.

Data are interactive. Make a selection from the filter to change the visualization and hover over the lines to see more information. 

Weekly Respiratory Disease Report

Respiratory disease surveillance involves monitoring a variety of data sources, including emergency department and urgent care visits, reported outbreaks, and laboratory results. This weekly report can help create a more complete picture of respiratory disease activity in Virginia.

During non-respiratory disease season (May-September) the Weekly Respiratory Disease Surveillance Report will move to a monthly schedule and will be posted on the last Friday of each month. VDH will resume the weekly cadence of the report once the 2024-25 respiratory disease season starts (1st week of October).

 

Last Updated: October 7, 2024