Respiratory illness in Norway
The three major respiratory pathogens side by side — influenza, COVID-19 and RSV — in Norway, based on ECDC ERVISS weekly data from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI).
Current situation: Influenza
In week 15 of 2026, activity of influenza (seasonal flu) in Norway is low. The trend — derived from clinical surveillance — is stable. Over a four-week comparison, a clear decline is visible.
The classification is based on the ECDC ERVISS weekly reports, drawing on data from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) via its sentinel GP network and wastewater surveillance. Seasonally, infection waves in Norway typically peak between January and March; activity is usually markedly lower during the summer months. How severe a given season becomes depends on the circulating virus variant and the population's immune status, among other factors.
Current situation: COVID-19
In week 15 of 2026, activity of COVID-19 in Norway is low. The trend — derived from clinical surveillance — is stable.
The classification is based on the ECDC ERVISS weekly reports, drawing on COVID-19 surveillance data from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) via its sentinel GP network and wastewater surveillance. Seasonally, infection waves in Norway typically peak during winter, with occasional summer waves driven by new variants; activity is usually markedly lower in late spring between waves. 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 Norway is low. The trend — derived from clinical surveillance — is falling. A clear upward movement has emerged over the past few weeks.
The classification is based on the ECDC ERVISS weekly reports, drawing on RSV surveillance data from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) via its sentinel GP network and wastewater surveillance. Seasonally, infection waves in Norway typically peak between December and February; activity is usually markedly lower in spring and summer. 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 Norway is built on the European Respiratory Virus Surveillance Summary (ERVISS), published weekly by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) via its sentinel GP network and wastewater surveillance is the national public-health authority that feeds ERVISS with sentinel primary care and virology data.
ECDC ERVISS
ERVISS is ECDC's weekly pan-European surveillance summary for influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV. National authorities — in Norway's case the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) via its sentinel GP network and wastewater surveillance — submit harmonised indicators every week, which ECDC publishes in a standardised dataset on Thursdays. Using ERVISS rather than each country's native portal ensures cross-country comparability.
ILI / ARI consultation rates and positivity
the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) via its sentinel GP network and wastewater surveillance operates a sentinel network of general practices that report weekly rates of patients consulting for influenza-like illness (ILI) or acute respiratory infection (ARI). A subset of patients is swabbed and tested by reference laboratories, producing pathogen-specific positivity rates for flu, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV.
Why this source
Combining consultation incidence with virological positivity yields a pathogen-specific weekly incidence signal (ILI × positivity / 100). This is the standard European methodology and provides a more robust view than either indicator alone — consultation rates capture illness burden, positivity confirms which pathogen is driving it.
Qualitative classification
The “low”, “moderate” and “high” categories follow seasonal reference values and epidemiological thresholds calibrated to match our classifications for other countries. The ILI × positivity / 100 product is scaled to comparable thresholds using a divisor of 3, which aligns European sentinel peaks with the consultation-equivalent scale used elsewhere. Data refreshes weekly when ECDC publishes the latest ERVISS update, typically on Thursdays.
Frequently asked questions
How is overall respiratory-illness activity tracked in Norway?
FHI integrates sentinel GP consultations, laboratory positivity, hospital and ICU admissions for severe acute respiratory infection, virological characterisation, and active wastewater surveillance into a weekly respiratory-virus picture covering flu, SARS-CoV-2, and RSV. The same indicators feed ECDC ERVISS. On infectrisk.com we condense this picture into a qualitative low/moderate/high classification.
What does wastewater surveillance add to the Norwegian picture?
Norway runs an active wastewater surveillance programme at selected treatment plants, measuring viral RNA for SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and RSV. The signal is independent of test-seeking behaviour, which makes it particularly useful when clinical testing volumes drop. Wastewater trends typically lead or co-move with sentinel indicators and help FHI flag rising activity earlier in the season.
Why do respiratory illnesses peak in a Norwegian winter?
Several factors converge in the Norwegian winter. Long, cold, dark months concentrate social contact indoors, where heated air is dry and many respiratory viruses remain stable longer. Schools amplify transmission among children, and holiday gatherings accelerate spread. Immunity to seasonal strains is also typically at its lowest when exposure begins rising after a quiet summer.
How does FHI decide that activity is “high”?
FHI uses thresholds derived from historical reference data. Current indicators — sentinel consultations, laboratory positivity, hospitalisation signals, wastewater concentrations — are compared against baselines from past non-epidemic weeks and against reference points from severe past seasons. When several indicators cross into elevated ranges at the same time, weekly bulletins flag activity as high. Norway's ERVISS contribution uses the same framework for cross-country comparison.
How does Norway compare to Sweden and Denmark?
Norway's climate, school calendar, and indoor-contact patterns resemble Sweden's and Denmark's, and the three countries' winter respiratory curves typically move broadly in step. Because all report into ECDC ERVISS on the same schedule and methodology, the relative timing and intensity of their peaks is easy to read in the European dashboards. Lead–lag differences are usually a matter of weeks.
Want the actual numbers?
You'll find them in the app.
Here you only see the trend. In the app: exact incidence rates, “X out of 100 people infectious”, your personal risk based on age and pre-existing conditions, wastewater trends, 36 countries, home-screen widget.
