PEI Respiratory Illness Summary 2025-2026 Season

Weeks 30 to 34 - July 26 to August 29, 2026 

RESPIRATORY ILLNESS SUMMARIES WILL BE POSTED ON A MONTHLY BASIS ON THE FOLLOWING DATES: JUNE 24, JULY 29, AND SEPTEMBER 2.

The surveillance period for the 2025-26 PEI Respiratory Illness Summary runs from August 24, 2025 (epidemiological week 35-2025) to August 29, 2026 (epidemiological week 34-2026). Surveillance weeks correspond to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) influenza surveillance weeks. While COVID-19 is not yet recognized as a seasonal respiratory virus, unlike influenza and RSV, data for COVID-19 are reported according to the surveillance period established for influenza.

Summary

• Number of new COVID-19 detections: 3
• Number of new influenza A detections: 1
• Number of new influenza B detections: 0
• Number of new RSV detections: 0
• Number of new hospital admissions for COVID-19: 1
• Number of new hospital admissions for influenza: 0
• Number of new hospital admissions for RSV: 0
• Number of deaths due to COVID-19 reported to the Chief Public Health Office: 0
• Number of deaths due to influenza reported to the Chief Public Health Office: 0
• Number of deaths due to RSV reported to the Chief Public Health Office: 0
• Number of new respiratory outbreaks: 1

Epidemiological curve and test positivity

Figure 1. Weekly respiratory illness case count and test positivity by respiratory virus, PEI 2025-26 surveillance period

COVID-19, influenza and RSV case counts are just an indication of greater respiratory illness activity as many individuals with respiratory illness do not seek medical attention

Respiratory Illness outbreaks, current period, previous period, and cumulative in 2025-26

¹LTC = long term care facility; CC = community care facility

²For example, acute care facilities and correctional facilities

³Includes viral respiratory illness (VRI)

NA = not applicable

Severe outcome surveillance, current period, previous period, and cumulative in 2025-26

NA = not applicable

Surveillance for COVID-19 Variants

PEI contributes data to the national reporting of COVID-19 variants in Canada

Wastewater Surveillance 

PEI’s Chief Public Health Office and the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action have partnered with the municipality of Charlottetown (including Stratford), and the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg to implement wastewater surveillance for COVID-19, in PEI.
PEI wastewater testing results are included on the national COVID-19 dashboard.

Historical COVID-19 Data

Historical Influenza Data

Historical RSV Data

Technical Notes

COVID-19 case count includes individuals who tested positive on lab-based PCR, Abbott ID Now NAAT, and Lucira NAAT.  It does not include individuals that tested positive on a rapid antigen test.

Note that clinical diagnosis of influenza takes place frequently in the community during peak season and is not confirmed with laboratory testing. In contrast to COVID-19, the prescribing of anti-viral treatment for influenza does not require a positive influenza test and can be based on a clinical diagnosis alone. Given the differences in testing approaches, the number of influenza detections and the number of COVID-19 detections in a given time period are not directly comparable.

COVID-19, influenza and RSV case counts are just an indication of greater respiratory illness activity as many individuals with respiratory illness do not seek medical attention.

Test positivity = ^{(Count of positive tests per reporting period)} / ^{(Count of total tests per reporting period)  ×100}

Test positivity for COVID-19 includes lab-based PCR and Abbott ID Now NAAT.  For influenza and RSV, test positivity includes lab-based PCR. Cases among PEI residents diagnosed outside of the province are included in the case counts but are excluded from the percent positivity calculation.

Outbreak definitions

     Influenza

• Laboratory-confirmed influenza outbreak: two or more cases of influenza like illness (ILI) within a seven-day period with an epidemiological link, including at least one laboratory-confirmed case of influenza within a surveillance setting
• VRI outbreak: Two or more cases of viral respiratory illness (VRI) within a seven-day period with a common epidemiological (epi) link AND testing is not available or all negative
• VRI outbreak in school or workplace: Greater than 10% absenteeism, which is likely due to VRI

    COVID-19 outbreak

• 2 or more test-confirmed cases of COVID-19 which are epidemiologically linked to a specific setting or location

    RSV

• 2 or more cases of ILI within a seven-day period with an epi link, including at least one laboratory-confirmed case of RSV within a surveillance setting

Hospitalization definition: a laboratory-confirmed case of influenza/RSV or test-confirmed case of COVID-19 that received treatment in hospital as a result of their respiratory illness

ICU admission definition: a case of influenza, RSV or COVID-19 that meets the hospitalization definition and was admitted to the ICU

Death definition: a death resulting from a clinically compatible illness in a laboratory-confirmed influenza/RSV case or test-confirmed COVID-19 case. A death due to influenza/COVID-19/RSV may be attributed when influenza/COVID-19/RSV is the cause of death or is a contributing factor. 

Test-confirmed COVID-19 case: case with a positive result on lab-based PCR, Abbott ID Now NAAT, or Lucira NAAT.  A case with a positive result on a rapid antigen test may be considered to be a test-confirmed case of COVID-19 upon review by a Chief Medical Officer of Health or relevant public health authority.  

Hospitalization data is gathered through infection prevention and control practitioners at each Island hospital.

Hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and deaths are reported based on the date that they are reported to the Chief Public Health Office.

Data presented throughout the report may be updated retroactively as new data becomes available.