Fast Facts: Flu Still Elevated across Pa.

February 03, 2025

Pennsylvania’s hospitals and health systems are still managing high levels of flu and other respiratory illnesses as we head into the final (six-week) stretch of winter.

Here’s what you need to know:

• State of the spread:  Pennsylvania has continued the viral trends from recent weeks, with flu activity remaining high, and RSV cases and visits to emergency departments for COVID-19 decreasing statewide.
• Severe cases:  There have been 127 flu-related deaths reported this season and 591 COVID-19-related-deaths. For 2023–2024, there were 502 reported flu-related deaths and 2,858 COVID-19-related deaths.
• Emergency department visits:  The percentage of emergency department visits for respiratory symptoms this week was up slightly from 14.76 percent to 15.25 percent.
• A milestone:  Friday was the five-year anniversary of COVID-19 being declared a public health emergency. The anniversary of Pennsylvania’s first confirmed case of the virus is March 6, 2020.
• Quotable:  “One of the things we have learned is that COVID came to us new, and now is integrated into our way of life," Dr. William Schaffner, professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told ABC News. 

As we see elevated levels for respiratory illnesses, HAP encourages everyone to follow the proper public health precautions, including thoroughly washing hands, covering coughs and sneezes, staying home when sick, and getting vaccinated against COVID-19 and the flu.

Additional information on the latest statewide public health figures is available online.