Viruses Hit 4 in 10 U.S. Households in Recent Weeks

It’s been a rough spell for Americans laid low by respiratory bugs, with almost 4 in 10 households reporting someone fell ill with COVID, flu, or RSV from the December holidays through mid-January. The most recent KFF COVIDVaccine Monitor found someone had the flu in 27% of households, 15% had COVID, and 10% had RSV. Nearly three years after COVID first hit, most people (69%) are “not too” or “not at all” worried about getting seriously ill from the coronavirus, although some (31%) still say they are concerned. By comparison, 26% worry about flu and 25% about RSV. With the viruses spreading this winter, nearly half of adults (46%) say the news of COVID-19, flu, and RSV have made them more likely to take at least one protective measure. This includes three in ten (31%) who say they are more likely to wear a mask in public.