In New York City, there has been a noticeable rise in flu cases, evidenced by an increase in mask-wearing, coughing on public transport, and school closures. Families are canceling plans, and notable absences have been observed in sports teams, including the Brooklyn Nets head coach, Jordi Fernández, and a New York Rangers assistant coach, both of whom missed games due to flu-related illness.

Preliminary data from hospitals indicate that emergency room visits for flu-like symptoms, such as fever and cough, reached 9,857 in the week ending December 20, marking the highest number recorded in a single week over the past decade. This figure surpasses the peak weeks of the 2017-18 and 2024-25 flu seasons, which were classified as high severity by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Laboratory tests further illustrate the extent of the outbreak, with New York City reporting 32,239 laboratory-confirmed flu cases last week, over half of which were among children. This number exceeds the worst week of the 2024-25 flu season, which recorded 23,308 cases. The situation is consistent across New York State, where State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald reported a total of 71,123 flu cases for the week ending December 20, the highest weekly total since 2004, when the current reporting method was implemented.

It is important to note that increased testing for the flu in recent years may contribute to the higher number of reported cases, suggesting that a greater proportion of infections are being identified compared to previous years, according to the Health Department.