Health officials warn of Thanksgiving triple threat as Covid, flu and RSV start to rise ahead of holidays
Americans have been warned of a ‘Thanksgiving triple threat’ of Covid, flu and RSV as they prepare to gather with family and friends to celebrate the holiday.
Surveillance shows that cases of all three viruses are increasing nationwide, especially in the southern and southwestern areas.
Dr. Bill Messer, a molecular biologist in Oregon, warned that a “kind of triple threat” was emerging, although no virus was yet ahead of the others.
And this time of year is particularly risky because it brings large numbers of people together indoors β usually in small spaces.
He urged people to consider face masks in crowded locations and avoid touching their nose and mouth.
He also encouraged all Americans to get vaccinated against all three viruses.
FLU: This map shows flu levels by state. It shows that flu cases were highest in the southern and southwestern regions of the US last week
COVID: Wastewater surveillance suggests Covid cases are now starting to rise again as the number of viruses detected in wastewater increases
RSV: The above graph shows how respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) β which infects the lungs and can be fatal β is also on the rise in the US
Speak with KOINhe said that ‘no virus’ appears to be the predominant threat this year.
But he added: βWe know from very recent experience that these holidays will certainly bring one or more of these to the surface.
Dr. Bill Messer, an infectious disease expert in Oregon, warned of the rising cases
βWe must do everything we can to limit that impact on ourselves and on family members and friends we see now during the holidays.β
The disease expert suggested that people should wash their hands before and after meals and sneeze into the crook of their arms to avoid contamination.
He also suggested keeping hands away from the eyes, mouth and nose, as these are easily infected areas of the face.
Dr. Messer added, βTThings like maintaining good air circulation in your rooms, an open window, fans, air purifiers, they keep the air moving, they all improve circulationβ¦ reduce the chance of the spread of certain pathogens.β
Dr. Matthew Sims, director of Infectious Disease Research at Corewell East in Chicago, also warned of the triple threat.
He told a local news station: ‘Every year we have talked about the triple threat and every year we have had some cases where it has been serious.
‘We have had times where we were really overloaded in the hospital.
‘Again: all three viruses are on the rise.
‘Take precautions. There is nothing stopping you from being exposed to more than one virus.β
This graph shows that the number of Americans hospitalized with the flu begins to increase as winter approaches
From the above, it appears that flu cases are increasing in the US. The dominant type this year is Type A, which generally causes milder disease
Covid cases rose in eight states last week, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
And wastewater surveillance analyzes suggest infections are increasing nationwide.
Meanwhile, Covid hospital admissions in the week to November 11 reached 16,000, up from almost 15,000 the week before.
Although this is well below the 24,000 recorded at the same time last year.
CDC data also shows flu cases are increasing nationally and in seven states.
The common virus can be deadly for people with chronic conditions, killing up to 52,000 Americans every year.
The hardest-hit state is Louisiana, where hospitalizations for respiratory illnesses doubled last week.
Nationally, flu hospitalizations rose by 50 percent to 8,000 patients in a week.
The number of deaths has increased by 48 percent to 490 fatalities.
The flu also starts a month earlier than normal, which researchers say could be a result of the prolonged hangover from Covid lockdowns.
People are still traveling more than ever to make up for lost time during the pandemic.
Also concerning are rising cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) β a respiratory virus that infects the lungs and respiratory tract and mainly affects young children and the elderly.
The positivity rate β the percentage of tests nationwide that detect the virus β reached 14 percent last week, up from less than 10 percent last month.
Vaccines have been made available for all three respiratory diseases for people six months and older, but uptake has not been as high as experts had hoped.
The latest data shows that around 65 percent of adults have not yet had a flu shot, while this is around 70 percent for children.
Estimates suggest about 20 percent of US adults have also signed up for the updated Covid vaccine that was made available in September.
Only 14 percent of Americans over age 60 have had an RSV vaccine.