Already Severe Flu Season Is Overwhelming Hospitals and ERs. Doctors Reveal Top Symptoms

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If you got the unwanted gift of influenza over the holidays, you're not alone. Flu season is in full swing in the United States, with cases and hospitalizations surging in every region. As millions of Americans return to work and school, experts caution that the flu may keep raging for weeks to come.

At least 41 states are reporting "high" or "very high" influenza activity, and doctors' visits for flu-like symptoms have already reached the highest level seen in nearly 30 years, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The influx in flu infections is crowding emergency rooms and overwhelming some hospitals.

“There’s no doubt about it. It’s an unusual season. It’s been severe, with a rapid onset,” Dr. Michael Phillips, director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, tells TODAY.com.

Fueling the majority of cases is a new variant, dubbed the "super flu." The mutated influenza A H3N2 strain, called subclade K, emerged earlier this year and caused early, severe flu seasons in Japan and the United Kingdom.

Experts are already warning that this flu season is tougher than usual and could get worse, especially for kids.

The 2025-2026 flu shot is still expected to provide protection against subclade K and other strains circulating. However, the CDC announced on Jan. 5 that flu vaccines are no longer universally recommended for children, instead encouraging parents make this decision with a health care provider.

Here's what to know about this flu season, where cases are surging, and how to get the flu shot.

Flu Season 2025-2026

“It’s one of our worst flu seasons since before COVID. ... It’s rough out there,” Dr. Scott Roberts, assistant professor of infectious diseases at the Yale School of Medicine, tells TODAY.com.

According to the CDC’s latest “FluView” surveillance report for the week ending Jan. 3, flu activity is elevated and increasing in many parts of the country. At least 25 states are reporting "very high" levels of flu activity, the most severe tier.

During the week prior, ending Dec. 27, outpatient visits for flu symptoms — such as fevers, sore throats and fatigue — soared to 8.2%. This is the highest level recorded since the 1997-1998 flu season, when the CDC started collecting this data.

"Almost one out of every 10 doctors' visits right now are for flu-like illness," Dr. Natalie Azar, NBC News medical contributor, said in a segment on TODAY on Jan. 5.

Although flu test positivity and doctors' visits dropped slightly last week, this change could be due to people not seeking care over the holidays or lags in reporting, rather than an indication that flu activity already peaked, the agency said in its FluView report.

Flu-related hospitalizations and deaths are still spiking.

So far this season, the flu has caused over 15 million illnesses, 180,000 hospitalizations and 7,400 deaths in the U.S., including 17 children, per CDC estimates. Experts warn that the actual numbers are likely higher.

The 2025-2026 season is surpassing the 2024-2025 flu epidemic, which was considered a “high severity” season by the CDC.

“There's a number of metrics which show we’ve eclipsed where we were at last year ... hospitalizations, percent positivity rate, name your metric. It’s worse this year,” says Roberts.

It’s unusual to see two severe flu seasons back to back, Roberts adds. However, activity is expected to increase in the coming weeks and experts warn this season has yet to peak, nationally.

Only time will tell how this season pans out. “Flu is consistently unpredictable,” says Phillips.

Subclade K "Super Flu" Strain

The dominant strain is influenza A H3N2 — specifically, subclade K, which accounts for about 90% of cases.

H3N2 is a familiar strain known to cause more severe flu seasons across all age groups. “H3N2 tends to be more virulent,” says Phillips.

Despite the nickname "super flu," current data do not show that subclade K is more dangerous than other H3N2 strains, per the World Health Organization.

However, subclade K's seven new mutations may affect its ability to evade pre-existing immunity, from vaccines or prior infection, TODAY.com reported previously.

"There’s no indication this is a more severe strain. But it's slightly more mutated than what our immune system recognizes and expects, so there's increased numbers of people getting infected than previous years," says Roberts.

Where Is Flu Surging?

Flu rates are elevated in most of the country. During the week ending Jan. 3, all but eight U.S. states reported “high” or “very high” levels of influenza-like illness activity.

According to the latest CDC data, these states are currently reporting the highest levels of flu activity:

Colorado
Georgia
Louisiana
Massachusetts
Michigan
Missouri
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
South Carolina
Tennessee

Flu Overwhelming Hospitals

Hospitals across the country are feeling the impact of the already tough flu season.

In New York City, which is seeing one of its worst flu seasons ever, flu-related hospitalizations reached a record high last week.

"New York was hit hard and hit early. Our emergency departments are packed,” says Phillips, who treats patients at NYU Langone Health. In addition to active flu cases, there's been an influx in post-flu complications, such as pneumonia, he adds.

Connecticut is also seeing a sharp rise in flu hospitalizations, says Roberts. “On a normal day, we operate at 95% capacity. ... When you add 100 flu patients on top of that, it’s going to strain the system,” Roberts adds.

One hospital system in South Carolina is so overwhelmed with influenza A that it’s restricting patient visitors, WSAV reported.

In North Carolina, which reported the first pediatric flu death of the 2025-2026 season, kids are being hit particularly hard.

"Our children's hospital is bursting at the steams. We're at capacity," Dr. Daniel Park, medical director of UNC Children’s emergency department, tells TODAY.com. As the ER remains full due to flu, this leads to longer wait times and limited bed space. "We have to get creative in creating space in every crevice of the emergency department," says Park.

Dr. Jason Newland, chief of infectious disease at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, says he’s seeing many kids “miserable” with flu. “I wonder if we’re going to get a secondary peak now that kids are back together in school,” says Newland.

Even when flu rates start to drop, Phillips warns that hospitals will stay busy with flu complications. “A lot of the mortality from flu isn’t directly from influenza. It’s from secondary bacterial infections, which tend to present 10 days or so after influenza infection,” says Phillips.

In addition to influenza, hospitals are feeling the burden of other viruses like COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus and norovirus.

2025-2026 Flu Symptoms

"The symptoms are remarkably similar to previous years," Dr. Linda Yancey, an infectious disease hospitalist at Memorial Hermann Houston, tells TODAY.com.

Common signs and symptoms of the flu include:

Fever
Chills
Extreme fatigue
Body aches
Sore throat
Cough
Stuffy or runny nose

“This flu season, we've also been seeing a lot of GI complaints, like vomiting and diarrhea," says Park. Additionally, ER doctors told NBC News that they're seeing more flu patients with shortness of breath and low oxygen levels.

Flu symptoms often start suddenly and intensely. “The flu will make you feel like you’ve been hit by a truck," says Yancey.

The flu can last for a few days up to two weeks, per the Cleveland Clinic. Most people recover on their own, but antivirals can lessen symptom severity and duration, Phillips notes.

These medications are most effective when taken early and require a prescription, says Roberts. Testing can help you know when to seek treatment.

PCR tests, performed in a lab, are the gold standard, but at-home flu tests are about 50 to 80% accurate at detecting flu in kids, and around 50% or less in adults.

Park urges people who have mild symptoms to stay home and use rapid tests, rather than go to the emergency room for a diagnosis.

Who Is At Highest Risk of Severe Illness?

Every year, the flu hits vulnerable groups hard.

Individuals at the highest risk of severe flu and complications include people over the age of 65, children under the age of 2, and people who are immunocompromised or have underlying health conditions.

Flu complications include pneumonia, inflammation of the heart or brain, and organ failure, which can be deadly, per the CDC.

Last winter, an estimated 27,000 to 130,000 people died from flu in the U.S., including 290 children. "We set a record for pediatric deaths last season," says Newland.

Is It Too Late to Get a Flu Shot?

It's not too late to get a flu shot, the experts emphasize.

The 2025-2026 flu vaccine includes three viruses: influenza A H3N2, influenza A H1N1 and influenza B.

Subclade K emerged after scientists finalized which strains the vaccine would target, so there's a slight mismatch with the H3N2 strain in the vaccine. However, the flu shot is still beneficial even if it doesn't perfectly match the circulating strains.

"The vaccine is still going to offer cross-protection. It just won’t be as robust as what we wanted," Roberts says.

The flu shot is never 100% effective, but it does significantly reduce severe illness, hospitalizations and deaths, Phillips says. The flu shot is especially important for high-risk individuals.

Early data from the UK's Health Security Agency show that the 2025-2026 flu vaccine is about 70-75% effective at reducing hospitalizations among children, Park adds.

Additionally, the other two components of the flu shot are well-matched to the circulating H1N1 and flu B strains.

Now is a good time if you haven't gotten the shot yet. "Flu season extends until March or April, so there’s a lot of time to benefit from immunity," says Roberts.

However, for kids, getting a flu shot may now require a conversation with a provider. The flu shot was recently removed as a universal recommendation from the childhood immunization schedule. Instead, it's listed under "shared clinical decision-making" effective immediately, NBC News reported. This means getting your child the flu vaccine may require consulting a doctor, nurse or pharmacist. (The shot is still covered by insurance).

The American Academy of Pediatrics called the change “dangerous” in a statement. Last season, 89% of the children who died from flu were unvaccinated, per the CDC.

There are several types of flu vaccines available, including a nasal mist. Talk to your provider about which one is right for you.