Yale Health Logs Flu Surge Outpacing COVID in New Haven

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Yale Health reported flu outpacing COVID-19 in patient visits to its Acute Care department as respiratory illnesses persist on campus into early 2026, according to the university's Campus Health Surveillance Report for Feb. 16, 2026. The report notes national influenza-associated hospitalization rates peaked at 12.8 per 100,000 population during Week 52 of the 2025-2026 season, with flu stubbornly elevated locally despite declining COVID cases. In Connecticut, flu levels rose sharply by December 2025, logging 1,031 reported cases, 66 hospitalizations and one death over two weeks ending Dec. 5, while Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH) treated 11 flu patients that day, three in intensive care.

Yale Health Director of Campus Health emphasized flu's sudden onset with fever, intense body aches and headaches, advising Tamiflu (oseltamivir) for immunocompromised students or those with severe symptoms. Isolation protocols for COVID now align with other respiratory viruses, reflecting CDC updates as cases wane statewide but flu dominates Yale's caseload heading into March 2026. Combined flu-COVID tests remain available for $7.50 at the Yale Health Center pharmacy, with expectations of ongoing autumn-winter waves.

Connecticut's flu uptick mirrors national trends, with activity low overall but rising in the Northeast, per Dec. 5, 2025 surveillance data. Norovirus levels also spiked, doubling to 14% test positivity by mid-November 2025 nationally, with Yale wastewater data showing high concentrations ahead of the typical December-January surge. Fall 2025 vaccine drives offered COVID, RSV and flu shots on campus starting Sept. 13, as 9.5% of nationwide COVID tests turned positive amid a late-summer rise. Yale Medicine warns the virus risks cardiac, pulmonary and neurologic complications even in vaccinated individuals.