Flu activity begins to increase in October and often peaks between December and February, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition to the flu, several other respiratory viruses circulate, such as rhinovirus and RSV, causing cold-like symptoms. And of course, COVID is still a threat as well.

Says a pediatric infectious disease physician, “Our expectation is that we’re going to have several more weeks yet of a lot of people being sick.”