RESP-LENS

During the 2022-23 and 2023-24 respiratory illness seasons, the Respiratory Virus Laboratory Emergency Department Network Surveillance (RESP-LENS) system gathered electronic health record (EHR) data from nearly 100 hospitals associated with 24 participating sites located in 20 states and the District of Columbia. There was at least one site in each of the 10 Health and Human Services (HHS) regions. RESP-LENS collected reports of emergency department (ED) visits for acute respiratory illness (ARI) and corresponding viral testing results for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), influenza (flu), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Sites reported data for an average of approximately 77,000 ED visits weekly, of which 11,000 were associated with ARI and 4,000 of those were in children younger than 18 years. Between May 2023 and August 2024, these data were posted to CDC's RESP-LENS public dashboard, showing number tested, number positive, and percent positive for each of the three viruses mentioned, by virus, region, and age group. Due to budget constraints, RESP-LENS was not funded beyond the end of the 2024 fiscal year. RESP-LENS served as a valuable tool for public health and health care professionals and allowed users to visualize and understand trends in virus circulation, estimate disease burden, respond to outbreaks, and inform decisions and strategies for protecting public health.