(WXYZ) — Winter viruses are spreading quickly, and many people are seeking care for respiratory illnesses.
Emergency room visits are especially high across the United States and continue to climb.
Respiratory season is getting tough. So many of my patients are suffering from these respiratory illnesses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, flu activity is high in most parts of the country, and flu test positivity has risen to 18.7% nationwide.
In the last week of December, public health labs reported 1,254 flu cases. Only 20 were influenza B; all the rest were influenza A.
This season’s flu activity looks similar to the 2019-2020 pre-COVID-19 season when cases peaked around the New Year. So far, the CDC estimates at least 5.3 million flu cases, 63,000 hospitalizations and 2,700 deaths.
Now, the CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get a flu vaccine each year. If you haven’t gotten yours yet, consider this: last year, the flu caused 470,000 hospitalizations and 28,000 deaths.
While the vaccine doesn’t guarantee that you won’t get infected, it can help protect you from severe illness, hospitalization or death.
Right now, we’re not expecting a tripledemic this year like in 2022 when there was a public health emergency. While RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, and the flu are very high in many areas, COVID-19 activity is just starting to accelerate.
Now, RSV test positivity has increased to 12.8%. Unfortunately, emergency visits and hospitalizations are highest in children. We’re also seeing increased hospitalizations among older adults in some areas as well.
As for COVID-19 activity, test positivity has climbed to 7.1% and is expected to keep rising. CDC wastewater data shows it’s increasing in most parts of the country. That means hospitalizations and deaths could follow.
Here’s some good news, though: CDC models published during the holidays suggest this winter’s COVID-19 wave won’t be as severe as previous winter surges. That’s partly because we haven’t seen a new “immune-escape variant” so far.
The CDC estimates that most current infections are caused by the XEC variant, which is closely related to earlier strains. Furthermore, the first data on this season’s updated COVID-19 vaccine looks promising. Experts believe the 2024-2025 vaccine will work well against the variants that are currently circulating.
So once again, it’s a good idea to get vaccinated — not just for COVID-19 and the flu, but also for RSV if you’re eligible. Please talk to your family physician if you have any questions.
