Flu season appears to be arriving early in the D.C. area

What they're saying: "We're definitely seeing things a little earlier than normal," says local infectious disease doctor Brandon Eilertson.

• What that means about the severity of the upcoming flu season still remains to be seen, but one thing is certain, Eilertson says: "This is the time to get a vaccine."
• And older folks or people with underlying health problems might want to consider masking now, he says. "Just try to be mindful."

State of play: 5.15% of Maryland's flu tests came back positive during the week ending Oct. 3 — up from 2% during roughly the same period last year.

• 0.58% of Virginia emergency department visits during the week ending in Oct. 10 were diagnosed with flu — up from 0.11% during roughly the same period last year.
• While D.C. hasn't yet updated its tracker for this flu season, flu activity in the District is climbing earlier compared to the same time last year, a spokesperson tells Axios.

Reality check: Respiratory illness activity is currently "low" in Virginia and "minimal" in Maryland, per each state's tracker — though Virginia's says activity is "trending up."

Zoom out: About 3.6% of flu tests nationwide came back positive in early October, compared with just 0.6% at the same point last year, according to CDC data.

• The fine print: CDC's published methodology shows no change in flu test positivity calculations.

Zoom out: Additional data, including outpatient reports, suggest flu activity is on the rise.

• The highest percentages of medical visits for flu-like illness are in children.
• Meanwhile: RSV activity remains very low in most of the country, while COVID activity is still elevated in some regions but declining nationally, per the CDC.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to add a comment from a DC Health spokesperson.