Across the DMV, more people are going to the hospital each week with flu-like symptoms, and doctors say it’s hitting the most vulnerable hardest.
Health departments are working hard to slow the spread of the flu.
“We’re seeing flu-related emergency department visits really tripling over the last couple of weeks,” said Dr. David Rose of the Alexandria Health Department.
There’s a similar trend around the region.
Flu activity is listed as high in Virginia and D.C. and very high in Maryland, according to the latest data for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Currently, 11% of emergency department visits in Maryland are due to flu. In Virginia, it’s almost 10%. Both were sharply up in the final weeks of 2025.
D.C. doesn’t list emergency department visit data, but it reports 821 new flu cases in the past week — a number that’s risen steadily through December.
Most patients are elderly, Rose said, but visits from pediatric patients also are increasing.
“We normally see the peaks on a seasonal basis around late January-February, so it’s still a good idea to consider getting vaccines,” he said. “The vaccine may not be a perfect match, and it rarely is a perfect match, but it is still very protective against the most severe illness and hospitalization.”
A highly contagious flu strain — subclade K — appears to be driving hospitalizations, Rose said. Slowing the spread starts with habits many people already know.
“Simple things: hand washing, cleaning off those high-touch surfaces like doorknobs, making sure that you’re covering your coughs and your sneezes, wearing a mask, particularly if you’re going to be around elderly, if you’re going to visit long-term care facilities for the elderly, and staying home if you’re sick, frankly,” Rose said.
Case numbers may continue to increase before they fall after the holiday season with its large gatherings, experts say.
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