COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations begin trending downward

For the week ending Jan. 20, there were 26,607 new COVID-19 hospitalizations, a 14% decrease from the previous week. COVID-19 deaths have also declined, dropping 7.5% in the most recent week of available data.

Overall, only one state, New Mexico, had a substantial increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations, and only two states, Alaska and Hawaii, had moderate increases. In comparison, 21 states had substantial decreases in hospitalizations, and 18 states had moderate decreases. The remaining states had stable hospitalization rates.

According to CDC data, the JN.1 omicron subvariant is currently driving most of the new COVID-19 cases in the United States. As of Jan. 20, JN.1 made up approximately 86% of new COVID-19 cases.

"Most likely, if you're getting COVID right now, you're getting this particular variant mutation," said Eyal Oren, a director and professor of epidemiology at San Diego State University's School of Public Health.

So far, data from CDC and the World Health Organization suggests that JN.1 is not associated with increased severity. However, health experts note that the variant will affect people differently, and individual patients could see more severe outcomes.

"Now, it's important to remember that how a virus affects an individual is a unique 'n' of one," said CDC official Eduardo Azziz-Baumgartner. "It could be very severe. People could die from a virus that, to the general population, may be milder."

CDC continues to encourage people to get vaccinated with updated COVID-19 vaccines to protect themselves against illness. So far, only 21% of adults and 11% of children have received a new COVID-19 vaccine. And among adults ages 65 and older, who are at the highest risk, only 40% have received the new vaccine.

Flu cases are still elevated

For the week ending Jan. 20, four U.S. states reported very high levels of influenza-like illness (ILI), and 17 states reported high levels of ILI activity. An additional 11 states reported moderate levels of activity.

Overall, there were 12,382 new flu hospitalizations for the week ending Jan. 20, a decrease from the 14,874 hospitalizations reported the week before. During this time, the percentage of outpatient provider ILI visits was 4.3%, a slight decline from the week before but still above the national baseline of 2.9%.

So far, CDC estimates that there have been at least 18 million flu cases, 210,000 hospitalizations, and 13,000 deaths this flu season. There have also been 57 pediatric flu deaths, with 10 new deaths reported the week ending Jan. 20.

Although there has been some decline in respiratory illnesses in recent weeks, cases remain elevated overall, and health experts have warned that they could negatively impact the healthcare system. In an alert released last month, CDC said that rising COVID-19, flu, and respiratory syncytial virus cases "could lead to more severe disease and increased healthcare capacity strain in the coming weeks."

Some areas have reported a strain on their hospitals, with New England currently having the worst hospital capacity in the country. For example, Massachusetts General Hospital said that it and other hospitals in the state were dealing with an "unprecedented overcrowding" crisis. (Reed, Axios, 1/29; Romo, NPR, 1/25; Tin, CBS News, 1/23; CDC COVID Data Tracker, accessed 1/29; CDC Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report, accessed 1/29)

Given the potential influx of respiratory diseases in the United States, health experts are advising caution this winter season. Here are five ways you can keep safe.