Right now, the main viruses “going around” in early 2026 in many places are the usual winter respiratory viruses: flu, COVID-19, and RSV, with flu generally causing the biggest current surge in cases and hospitalizations in several regions. Exact patterns vary a lot by country and even by city, so local public health updates or your doctor are the best source for what’s happening in your area.

Quick Scoop

  • Influenza (the flu) is currently driving a large wave of respiratory illness in multiple countries, with high positivity rates and many hospitalizations reported for the 2025–2026 season.
  • COVID-19 is still circulating and remains one of the “big three” winter respiratory viruses, although in some areas it is lower than flu but still contributing to coughs, fevers, and missed work or school.
  • RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is also active, especially in children and older adults, and is part of the broader winter respiratory illness picture.

What “virus going around” usually means

When people say “that virus going around,” they are usually talking about a cluster of:

  • Fever, chills, body aches, cough, sore throat, fatigue: common with flu and COVID-19.
  • Runny nose, congestion, cough, wheeze (especially in babies/older adults): common with RSV and other cold viruses.
  • Stomach issues like vomiting or diarrhea can be from norovirus or other GI bugs, which also tend to spike in colder months and crowded settings.

Because many of these viruses share symptoms, testing (flu, COVID, sometimes RSV) is often needed to know which one is involved.

What’s trending this season

  • Health systems in parts of the U.S. and Europe report high flu activity, with Influenza A strains dominating and driving record or near‑record illness in some regions.
  • COVID‑19 variants are still evolving, and a strain referred to as XFG or “Stratus” has been noted as a common variant recently, generally causing upper‑respiratory symptoms but still posing risk for severe disease and long COVID in vulnerable people.
  • Public health agencies describe this as a typical “respiratory virus season,” where several viruses circulate together and stress hospitals, especially around and after the holidays.

What you can do right now

  • Check your local health department or major hospital system’s website for current “respiratory virus” or “flu and COVID” updates, since circulation can be very different from one region to another.
  • Consider seeing or contacting a clinician promptly if you or someone close has:
    • Trouble breathing, chest pain, or bluish lips/face.
    • High or persistent fever, confusion, or dehydration.
    • Symptoms in a very young baby, older adult, or someone pregnant or with chronic conditions.
  • Ask about flu and COVID‑19 vaccines and, if you get sick and are high‑risk, whether antiviral treatment (for flu or COVID‑19) is appropriate.

If you’re asking for yourself

Because the question is broad and every location is different, the safest move if you’re personally sick is:

  1. Use home tests if available (especially for COVID‑19).
  2. Call your doctor or an urgent care line, describe your symptoms and risk factors, and ask if you need testing or treatment today.
  3. Stay home when ill, cover coughs, wash hands, and consider a mask around others while you have respiratory symptoms; these simple steps help against flu, COVID, RSV, and many other viruses at once.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.