Medical Disclaimer

Last updated: July 2026

FluTrack combines the CDC's weekly respiratory surveillance signals — emergency-department visits, laboratory test positivity and wastewater viral activity — into a single 0–4 threat level and a rising-or-falling trend for each state. That number describes how much flu, RSV and COVID-19 activity the CDC's data indicates across a whole population. It is background context for everyday decisions, and nothing on this page, or anywhere on this site, is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any illness.

For general information only

Everything FluTrack publishes is provided for general informational purposes. It is not a substitute for the professional judgment of a physician, nurse, pharmacist, or other qualified health provider who knows your history and circumstances. FluTrack does not recommend or endorse any specific test, treatment, vaccine, medication, procedure, or course of action, and it does not tell you what to do about the activity levels it reports. We describe what the CDC's data shows; decisions about your health belong between you and your clinician.

No doctor–patient relationship

Using FluTrack, reading its threat levels, or subscribing to its surge alerts does not create a doctor–patient, provider–patient, or any other professional or fiduciary relationship between you and FluTrack. We do not know who you are, we cannot evaluate your individual condition, and we provide no personalized medical opinion. If you have a question about your own health, or about anyone in your care, consult a qualified health provider.

A delayed weekly trend, not a real-time or personal risk score

Surveillance data is reported with an inherent lag of roughly one to two weeks. FluTrack shows directional trends, not a real-time case count. The reading you see reflects the most recently reported week of surveillance, which typically describes illness circulating one to two weeks earlier — not the situation today, and not a live case count. FluTrack is designed to answer "which way is respiratory activity heading in my state," not "am I currently at risk," and it should never be read as a real-time or individual risk assessment.

Population-level surveillance, not your personal risk

The threat level is a state-wide, population-level indicator. It cannot account for your age, medical history, vaccination status, exposures, occupation, household, or local conditions, and it says nothing about whether you personally are infected or likely to become ill. A "Low" reading does not mean you are safe, and a "High" reading does not mean you are sick. Only a qualified health provider can assess your individual risk. FluTrack reflects the data; it does not reflect you.

Independent — not affiliated with the CDC

FluTrack is built entirely on the CDC's open, public-domain data, but it is an independent project with no official standing.

Nothing on FluTrack is an official public-health communication. For official guidance, recommendations, and health information, consult the CDC directly at cdc.gov or your state and local health department.

No guarantee of accuracy, completeness, or timeliness

Surveillance data is provisional and is routinely revised as later reports arrive, and translating it into a single index necessarily involves modeling choices. FluTrack makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, that the information on this site is accurate, complete, current, or error-free. Reporting gaps, delayed or restated CDC figures, and the inherent lag described above all mean the picture can shift. You rely on the information at your own discretion, and FluTrack is not liable for any decision made or action taken based on it. Where we can explain how the index is built, we do — on our methodology and data sources pages.

Always consult a qualified health provider

For any question about symptoms, prevention, testing, treatment, vaccination, or your risk — for yourself or anyone you care for — seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider. Do not disregard, avoid, or delay obtaining professional medical advice because of anything you have read on FluTrack.

Questions

If anything on this page is unclear, or you would like to reach a real person about how FluTrack works, please contact us. For questions about your health, please contact your health provider.