The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is part of the Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RESP-NET), a network of sites around the United States monitoring laboratory-confirmed hospitalizations associated with COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Washington joined this network in 2024.
RESP-NET in Washington
Areas of Washington Included
The DOH RESP-NET team works with 7 local health jurisdictions (LHJs) and the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board to identify COVID-19, influenza, and RSV-associated hospitalizations among residents of Benton, Clark, Franklin, King, Snohomish, Spokane, Pierce, and Yakima counties.
These 8 counties represent over 70 percent of the state population. This is considered the state’s catchment area for surveillance.
Defining RESP-NET Hospitalizations
A RESP-NET hospitalization is defined as a hospitalized patient who is a resident of the 8 RESP-NET counties and tests positive for SARS-CoV-2, influenza, or RSV within 14 days before or during their hospitalization.
How We Use RESP-NET Data
Public health and health care partners use RESP-NET data to better understand COVID-19, influenza, and RSV hospitalization trends. This helps inform actions to prevent people from becoming very ill. LHJs, DOH, and CDC all use RESP-NET data; CDC is sent de-identified RESP-NET data as part of the national surveillance program.
DOH uses RESP-NET data to:
- Calculate county-level hospitalization rates
- Monitor trends in severe illness
- Understand the local epidemiology of hospitalizations, such as by assessing risk factors and outcomes
- Inform interventions, such as policy and health education, to improve health outcomes
In addition to how DOH uses RESP-NET data, CDC uses the data to:
- Calculate national burden of disease estimates for COVID-19, influenza, and RSV using hospitalization rates adjusted for testing practices
- Inform national policy, such as through presentations to establish vaccine recommendations
- Describe clinical characteristics, interventions, and outcomes of patients
- Provide hospitalization data on a CDC RESP-NET data dashboard that contains data from all RESP-NET sites
Data, Reports, and Publications
- Local, State, and National Efforts That Support Influenza Surveillance – From the Ground Up (Journal of the American Medical Association)
Contact Us
Please email RESP-NET@doh.wa.gov with any questions about RESP-NET surveillance in Washington.
Last updated 8/26/2026