Data Story
Respiratory virus testing overview
Respiratory virus test positivity for San Francisco residents.
Population HealthThis page is part of respiratory virus data and reports.
Respiratory virus testing over time
Test positivity is an important indicator of the spread of viruses in San Francisco. We report on test positivity for:
- COVID-19
- Influenza (flu)
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
Each card shows the current activity level, whether test positivity is increasing, decreasing, or staying about the same.
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Data notes and sources
Activity levels range from very low to very high and are based on the percent positive tests. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) created these levels using data from the past 5 respiratory virus seasons.
The ranges are different for each virus:
- COVID-19: Very Low <2%, Low 2-7%, Moderate 7-11%, High 11-16%, Very High >16%
- Influenza: Very Low <2%, Low 2-5%, Moderate 5-9%, High 9-13%, Very High >13%
- RSV: Very Low <1%, Low 1-4%, Moderate 4-6%, High 6-9%, Very High >9%
Trend shows whether test positivity has changed from the prior week. Increasing means test positivity went up by at least 0.5 percentage points. Decreasing means it went down by at least 0.5 percentage points. Stable means it changed by less than 0.5 percentage points.
You can find statewide respiratory virus data in the CDPH report.
Activity levels show the percent of tests that are positive for each virus. Levels range from very low to very high. A higher level means more tests are positive, which suggests virus is spreading in the community.
The trend shows whether test positivity has changed from the prior week. Increasing means test positivity is going up, decreasing means it is going down, and stable means it is staying about the same.
Test positivity over time
On this dashboard we show changes in test positivity over time.
Navigating dashboards with a keyboard
- Control + Enter to enter the dashboard
- Tab or Arrow to move between visuals
- Control + Right arrow to enter a visual or filter
- Escape to exit a visual, filter or dashboard
Navigating within a visual or filter
- Tab or Arrow to move around a table or visual
- Enter to select within a table or visual
- Spacebar to select or deselect a filter
Data notes and sources
Test positivity = (positive tests) / (positive + negative tests)
The test positivity calculation does not include indeterminate results. We calculate the positivity rate by:
- Adding up all positive tests
- Dividing by the total number of positive and negative tests
Activity levels range from very low to very high and are based on the percent positive tests. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) created these levels using data from the past 5 respiratory virus seasons.
The ranges are different for each virus:
- COVID-19: Very Low <2%, Low 2-7%, Moderate 7-11%, High 11-16%, Very High >16%
- Influenza: Very Low <2%, Low 2-5%, Moderate 5-9%, High 9-13%, Very High >13%
- RSV: Very Low <1%, Low 1-4%, Moderate 4-6%, High 6-9%, Very High >9%
Trend shows whether test positivity has changed from the prior week. Increasing means test positivity went up by at least 0.5 percentage points. Decreasing means it went down by at least 0.5 percentage points. Stable means it changed by less than 0.5 percentage points.
Following CDPH, the respiratory virus season starts in the first week of July and ends in the last week of June the following year.
You can find statewide respiratory virus data in the CDPH report.