"today in the bay." join us for nbc bay area news at 11:00. >> have a great weekend. do something great for somebody. get out and enjoy the weather. we'll see you back here monday. # good friday morning. questions this morning about the respiratory illness spreading quickly across the country. >> it's impacting kids and parents. it's october 21. this is "today." >> alarming rise. growing concern over the nationwide surge in respiratory viruses among children overwhelming some hospitals. >> the majority of the children coming in sick, requiring higher levels of oxygen. >> one state even considering calling in the national guard to help. this morning what's behind the

unprecedented spike. britain in turmoil. >> i am resigning as leader of the conservative party. >> liz truss steps down as prime minister just 45 days into the job. the uk now going on five prime ministers in six years. what went so wrong so fast and could boris johnson be poised for a comeback? taking a toll. millions of people in ukraine struggling to cope with russia's renewed attacks. a race to repair damaged power full stream ahead. an inside look at the hottest new way for you to find deals this holiday shopping season. those stories. plus, close encounters. new ufo sightings captured on video by pilots sharing their stories with us. >> it's either getting more frequent or getting noticed more. >> we take a closer look. and the clock strikes.

♪♪ >> taylor swift's new album arrives overnight and immediately crashes spotify as millions of swifties meet her at midnight. today friday, october 21, 2022. ♪♪ >> announcer: from nbc news this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hi, everybody, good morning. welcome to "today." we made it. it's friday morning. nice to have you with us. >> a lot to get it, including a new forecast out this morning especially along the east coast. of course, mr. roker is here. he will have that in a bit. >> we want to know. we begin with surging cases of respiratory illnesses in kids across the country. >> over the last month, 32 states have reported an increase in rsv cases. >> why is it happening now and how is it affecting adults as well?

we will talk about that with dr. john torres. first, gabe gutierrez at a hard-hit hospital in