COVID-19 infections are currently growing or likely growing in 13 U.S. States, according to data released February 6, 2026, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC estimates that, as of February 3, 2026, nine states are experiencing declining or likely declining infection rates, while the remaining 25 states show no significant change. The agency’s assessment is based on a time-varying reproductive number, or Rt, which measures transmission based on incident emergency department (ED) visits. An Rt value above 1 indicates epidemic growth.
While the Rt provides an indication of whether infections are increasing or decreasing, the CDC emphasizes that it does not reflect the overall burden of disease and should be considered alongside other surveillance metrics, such as the percentage of ED visits.
Current symptoms of COVID-19 in 2026 are presenting similarly to those observed in January 2026, with a pattern of upper airway targeting rather than the deep lung tissue impacts seen earlier in the pandemic. The most frequently reported symptoms include sore throat, dry or tickly cough, nasal congestion or runny nose, fatigue, headache, and mild fever or chills. Muscle aches, sneezing, and a general feeling of being unwell are also common, particularly in the initial stages of illness.
Loss of taste or smell, a hallmark symptom of earlier variants, is now less frequent. Gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, are reported in some cases, but are less common and often accompany the primary respiratory symptoms.
Public health agencies continue to stress the importance of testing to determine the specific virus responsible for respiratory symptoms, given the overlap between COVID-19, influenza, and RSV. As of February 3, 2026, influenza infections are growing or likely growing in nine states, declining or likely declining in 15 states, and not changing in 23 states. RSV infections are growing or likely growing in 24 states, declining or likely declining in 11 states, and not changing in 12 states.
