Frequently Asked Questions

What is this?

Once a week, Weeklygame posts a short summary about how three respiratory illnesses — Covid, flu, and RSV — are trending near the spot on the map you picked. You choose the day and time, and where it goes. It posts on its own.

Where can it post?

A Discord channel, a Slack channel, or an RSS feed you can follow in any feed reader. Discord and Slack need a webhook URL from that server — see webhook permissions if that's new to you. RSS needs nothing set up at all, because you just get a link. Pick one of the three. You can switch it at any time.

Isn't Covid over?

The emergency is, but the virus isn't — it still comes in waves, along with flu and RSV every fall and winter. Knowing when a wave is building near you helps you judge what you want to do, using your own personal risk assessments.

What am I supposed to do with this?

Whatever you want. This is information, not instructions. Some people might see a high week and think it's a good time to meet outdoors, post test pics in the chat, or haul out the HEPA filters. Up to you!

What do Low, Moderate, High mean?

They're a quick take on how much of each illness is known to be circulating nearby, as of the dates shown. (Which are the most recent good information we have.) They're graded against a recent range of what is "normal" for each disease. If you want a lot more data, the "info" link has more.

What the heck is RSV?

Yeah, not as well-known as the other two. Common virus, but its symptoms are mostly like a mild cold — unless you're an infant or 65+, or have certain chronic health conditions. It kills thousands of older Americans each year and hundreds of infants. And it spreads through droplets in the air too.

I'm vaccinated, why does this matter?

Great, that's awesome! That is the best way to protect yourself from the most serious disease outcomes! But you can still get sick and you can still give it to people who are more vulnerable. Some people in your community can't get vaccinated for medical reasons, or vaccinations don't work as well for them. Not getting yourself sick is the best way to not get them sick.

Where does your source data come from?

Public health data! The CDC collects three main sources of data for Covid, flu, and RSV. (And others, but these are the big three now.) Sewershed monitoring sites check how much viral RNA is in the wastewater, and yep, that comes from what you think it comes from. Then there's two sources from hospitals, with Emergency Departments reporting visit-diagnosis counts mostly by county, and regular hospital admissions reporting by state. Weeklygame gathers the sources closest to your point and combines them into one weekly read.

Why should I trust the CDC's numbers?

They're not perfect, and no single source ever is. For Covid, we blend several to make up for the flaws. (For Flu and RSV, which are more-strongly seasonal, we TKTK.) That's the best data we have. The CDC has seen political changes imposed from the top since 2025, but as of August 2026, these data feeds remain accurate as far as anyone can tell. If that changes, Weeklygame will change its approach.

Why should I trust you to assemble these numbers?

You don't have to take my word for it. Every post links to an info page showing the exact sites and reporting areas that went into your summary, so you can check the sources yourself. The goal is to save you the legwork, not to be a black box.

What's up with the weird shaped blobs on the US map on the homepage?

Those are shaped by where the wastewater sites are, and where the people in the counties live.

How much does this cost?

Right now it's free. Not planning on charging anything.

What if I want to cancel?

Stay tuned, working on it. In the meantime, just email me from the same address you signed up with. I'm Jamie McCarthy, jamie at mccarthy dot vg.

Are you guaranteeing I'll be safe?

No. This is an information service, not medical advice. It can tell you what the trend looks like near you. But it can't tell you what's right for your health and it definitely can't guarantee anything.

Why is it called "Weeklygame"?

My friends and I get together in person, to play games, at the same time every week, and I built this for us. Whatever your weekly thing is, I hope this helps you too.

Why'd you make this?

Look, after Biden and Congress officially ended the pandemic emergency in 2023, I kept masking and testing when the benefit seemed worth it. Covid was horrible, and a lot of people died and suffered. I have immunocompromised friends, and a few simple steps can help protect them.

But I'm bad at what that takes: staring at tables of numbers, mixing together data sources, and turning it into a risk call. I also am busy and forget to check in on what's going on. Computers are good at both those things. So I built one that does the staring for me, and reminds me once a week, localized to where I actually live. There's a bit more on the about page.

Do you know DC isn't a state?

I know! I live here! It annoys me too! Fixing those "state" references is on my to-do list, I promise.