RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, has sickened many young children this fall. It's a record. The flu, which usually peaks in February, has pushed hospitalization rates to their highest levels in more than a decade during this time of year, surpassing hospitalization rates for Covid-19. And although Covid has fewer diseases than in late December, it is also high.
Public health officials are warning that Covid-19, influenza, and RS are already putting pressure on wearable healthcare systems. Hospitalizations for the three viruses are increasing together. Nationwide, R.S.V appears to have peaked, and although influenza has peaked in several parts of the country, transmission of the two viruses is expected to stabilize at high levels.
Experts say the coronavirus pandemic has somewhat disrupted the expected pattern of other respiratory illnesses, making it difficult to estimate their severity for the rest of the season.
"We still have a little winter ahead of us," said Richard Webby, a virologist at St. Louis University. Judd Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. “Certainly, there is plenty of time for the next coronavirus wave, and even enough chances for another version of the flu to emerge.
- The weekly hospitalizations by the R. number of children is the highest since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began tracking it in the 2018-2019 season. Preliminary estimates indicate that approximately 1 in 70 babies under 6 months of age have been hospitalized since the beginning of October.
As flu rates soar and Covid-19 spreads, respiratory illnesses overwhelm pediatrics across the country, shifting the burden to emergency rooms and children's hospitals.
"If you ask people who work in emergency services or hospitals, they'll tell you it's the worst season they can remember." I am here.
I don't know if our staff can keep up."
The incidence of illness and hospitalizations appears to have peaked, especially in the south, where the disease first arrived, but some experts say it may be plateauing and is expected to remain high for some time.
Geriatric hospitalizations are also much higher than what was recorded at this time in past seasons.
Older adults in the United States remain vulnerable to serious illness from COVID-19 and influenza, and early relapses and surges in influenza have made public health officials concerned about this age group.
COVID has not gone away, said Fiona Havers, an infectious disease specialist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Influenza hospitalizations among the elderly are expected to increase in the coming weeks as families travel on vacation and gather indoors, a well-known subtype of influenza A that tends to have higher hospitalization rates for influenza among the elderly.
The agency estimates that influenza alone has caused at least 150,000 hospitalizations and 9,300 deaths so far this season.
Experts say the vaccines available for influenza and Covid-19 are good for the strains that circulate. For those who have already had the flu, the vaccination can protect against another strain to which they have not been exposed.
Only 36% of people over 65 got a Covid-19 booster this fall, and that percentage is lower for all younger age groups