Flu Season Hits Northern Virginia Hard

It’s that time of year again, but this season feels particularly severe.

Respiratory illnesses, particularly influenza, are surging through Northern Virginia, making up about 22% of emergency room visits in the week ending January 3, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

A particularly aggressive strain of influenza A, known as subclade k, is responsible for this flu season, which typically peaks from December to February. This mutated variant appeared after the 2025 flu vaccine was created.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates that there have been at least 11 million flu cases nationwide this season, with projections of around 120,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths. The flu’s spread is classified as high or very high in 48 states.

Dr. Meredith Porter, the medical director for Inova-GoHealth Urgent Care in Northern Virginia, mentioned that the region is experiencing “very high acute respiratory illness levels.” Inova-GoHealth operates 23 urgent care centers throughout Northern Virginia as part of a partnership between Inova and GoHealth.

To manage the increased demand, the urgent care centers are adding more support staff and extending virtual visit hours until midnight.

“We’re doing our best to keep people out of the emergency room,” Porter shared.

However, there may be a glimmer of hope; Porter indicated that statewide respiratory-related ER visits dropped from the week ending December 27 to the week ending January 3.

This year’s flu season ramped up as schools closed and people began traveling for the holidays, according to Porter.

“When you’re in a crowded space, you might not realize you’re getting sick until it’s too late,” she noted.

She described how typical flu symptoms start, saying that it can feel like you’ve “been hit by a bus,” including body aches, fever, cough, and exhaustion.

Unless someone is struggling to breathe, experiencing chest pain, dehydration, or changes in mental state, Porter suggests visiting a primary care or urgent care facility first. Those settings can facilitate early testing and antiviral treatments.

If you do catch the flu, it’s important to rest as much as possible and stay hydrated. If you must go out, Porter advises wearing a mask and maintaining a distance from others. The first three days after symptoms begin are when individuals are most contagious, according to her insights.

For those not infected, she recommends using hand sanitizer, washing hands regularly, cleaning surfaces like grocery carts, and keeping a fair distance from anyone showing symptoms.

“When you’re in that checkout line,” she said, “it’s wise to give yourself a little space.”