This winter's pattern is different from that of last year, when Covid, flu and RSV all peaked around the same time, Dr. Mandy Cohen told NBC News.

Winter officially begins Thursday, and with the cold season comes an expected rise in rates of flu and Covid, said Dr. Mandy Cohen, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The U.S. is seeing a "sharp increase" in flu levels right now, particularly in the south, Cohen said Wednesday in an interview. Covid cases also appear to be climbing nationally, she said, while cases of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, seem to have reached their highest point this season.

"We’re seeing RSV peak a bit sooner, but we do not believe we’re near yet at the peak of flu or Covid," Cohen said.