"Respiratory Illnesses Surge Across U.S. Post-Holidays, with Spikes in COVID, Flu, and RSV"

New Jersey is experiencing a significant spike in respiratory infections, including COVID-19, influenza, and RSV, likely exacerbated by holiday gatherings. Hospitalizations have increased, with COVID-19 admissions rising by over 40% since before Christmas, and some patients requiring ventilators. Despite challenges in tracking cases due to reliance on at-home tests and insurance requirements for PCR tests, experts are using hospital data and wastewater surveillance to monitor the spread. Flu activity is high across all regions of the state, with nearly 20,000 cases reported, and RSV cases are also higher than in previous years. No flu-related pediatric deaths have been reported this season.