Respiratory illness in China
The three major respiratory pathogens side by side — influenza, COVID-19 and RSV — based on WHO FluNet weekly aggregate of China National Influenza Center data with ILI% composite.
Current situation: Influenza
In week 15 of 2026, activity of influenza (seasonal flu) in China is low. The trend — derived from clinical surveillance — is stable. A slight upward trend has emerged over recent weeks.
The classification is based on WHO FluNet combined with influenza-like illness (ILI%) indicators from the Chinese National Influenza Center; China reports separately for its northern and southern provinces, and the classification uses an ILI × positivity composite. Seasonally, infection waves in China typically peak between December and February in the north, with a more prolonged, bimodal pattern in the south; activity is usually markedly lower during the summer months in the north, while activity in the south fluctuates year-round. How severe a given season becomes depends on the circulating virus variant and the population's immune status, among other factors.
Current situation: RSV
In week 15 of 2026, activity of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in China is low. The trend — derived from clinical surveillance — is stable.
The classification is based on WHO FluNet combined with ILI% indicators from the Chinese National Influenza Center (north/south split reporting), which carries RSV positivity indicators. Seasonally, infection waves in China typically peak between December and February in the north, with a more prolonged, bimodal pattern in the south; activity is usually markedly lower in spring and summer in the north, while activity in the south is more variable. How severe a given season becomes depends on the circulating virus variant and the population's immune status, among other factors.
Data sources and methodology
The current picture for China is built on WHO FluNet, supplemented by the Chinese National Influenza Center's weekly ILI percentage. The China National Influenza Center reports sentinel laboratory results to FluNet every week, and — uniquely among FluNet contributors — also publishes an ILI consultation percentage inside the dataset's comment field, which we use to produce an ECDC-style pathogen-specific signal when available.
WHO FluNet
FluNet is the WHO's weekly global influenza surveillance database. The China National Influenza Center submits the number of respiratory specimens tested and the number positive for influenza and, where available, RSV. This provides a consistent, internationally comparable baseline signal.
ILI percentage via LAB_RESULT_COMMENT
China embeds a weekly ILI consultation percentage inside FluNet's LAB_RESULT_COMMENT field. When this value is present we compute ILI × positivity / 100 — the same methodology used for ECDC ERVISS countries — which gives a pathogen-specific weekly incidence signal. When ILI% is missing we fall back to the FluNet positivity-rate method (positivity × scaling factor, 80 for flu and 50 for RSV).
Why this source
FluNet is the only weekly, internationally harmonised dataset for China, and the embedded ILI% lets us apply ECDC-style methodology where possible for improved comparability. COVID-19 is not available via FluNet and is therefore not shown.
Qualitative classification
The “low”, “moderate” and “high” categories follow seasonal reference values and epidemiological thresholds calibrated to match our classifications for other countries. Whether the ECDC-style ILI × positivity / 100 product or the FluNet positivity × scaling-factor signal is used, both are mapped to the same consultation-equivalent scale so results stay comparable across regions. Data refreshes weekly when WHO publishes the latest FluNet update.
Frequently asked questions
How is overall respiratory-illness activity tracked in China?
CNIC's sentinel network — hundreds of hospitals and laboratories across northern and southern China — produces weekly indicators for influenza and RSV. Weekly ILI percentages are reported through WHO FluNet, including via the LAB_RESULT_COMMENT field, with northern and southern China tracked as separate signals. The result is a view of pressure at sentinel sites rather than a raw nationwide count of ill people.
Why isn't COVID-19 tracked here alongside flu and RSV?
WHO FluNet, which aggregates CNIC's sentinel data, covers influenza and RSV only. SARS-CoV-2 has its own dedicated Chinese surveillance streams, including hospital networks and genomic programmes. Data pages built on FluNet therefore focus on flu and RSV; COVID-19 monitoring in China continues through those separate channels.
Why are northern and southern China reported separately?
Climate and contact patterns differ substantially between the two regions. Northern China follows a temperate winter-peak pattern; southern China shows prolonged autumn-through-winter activity and occasional summer peaks. Reporting a single national average would hide genuine signal. CNIC and WHO FluNet preserve the north–south distinction, which produces noticeably more honest trend visibility than a merged curve would.
How does China compare internationally?
Northern China resembles other temperate Northern-Hemisphere countries, with January–February peaks. Southern China resembles subtropical Western Pacific regions with more prolonged and sometimes bimodal activity. Because CNIC reports both regions separately into WHO FluNet, cross-country comparison is straightforward within the Western Pacific regional framework.
How is activity classified in CNIC data?
CNIC uses qualitative tiers anchored to historical ILI-percentage thresholds, reported separately for the north and south. The ILI% values themselves are published through FluNet's LAB_RESULT_COMMENT field, which makes the classification basis unusually transparent. These tiers describe whether current sentinel pressure is ordinary, elevated, or unusually intense for the region and time of year — not an absolute case count.
Want the actual numbers?
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