Seasonal virus activity is on the rise in the United States, so experts are urging people to take precautions like wearing masks and getting vaccinated. They also mention how helpful treatment may be for those who do become ill.
Hospitalizations due to respiratory illnesses have averaged tens of thousands every week this season. More than 29,000 patients were hospitalized with COVID-19, around 15,000 with the flu, and thousands more with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), according to statistics from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the week ending December 23, 2023, as reported by CNN.
According to CDC statistics, the levels of COVID-19 in wastewater, a key indicator of viral transmission, are very high on a national level. These levels are much higher than they were at the same time last year in all regions. Recently, there was a 17% increase in hospitalizations and a 12% increase in visits to the emergency room every week.
Even while COVID-19 is still the predominant cause of hospitalizations caused by respiratory viruses, the flu is on the rise. More than 7 million people have been sick, 73,000 have been hospitalized, and 4,500 have died as a result of the flu this season, according to the CDC. Several signs show that this number is high and continuing to rise.
Hospitalization Rates
While certain regions of the US are seeing a decline in RSV activity, several indicators, including hospitalization rates, are still high. As a whole, the impact is greatest on the elderly and small children.
Dr. Peter Hotez of Baylor's National School of Tropical Medicine said respiratory viruses and other winter respiratory infections are sweeping the nation. He said the significance of RSV is something that cannot be downplayed. Aside from COVID and flu, there is pneumococcal pneumonia that complicates many of these viral infections.
There has been an uptick in respiratory virus activity for weeks. The CDC reports that the current level of flu-like activity is high or very high over the majority of the country, including major cities like Washington, California, and New York, as well as the South and Northeast.
"Remember, all of these numbers are before people got together for the holidays. So don't be disappointed or surprised that we even see a bigger bump as we head into January," Hotez warned.
Relevance of Vaccines
Although there is a first of its kind with vaccinations available to defend against all three major viruses, the acceptance of these vaccines has been poor this season despite their ability to prevent serious sickness and even death.
As per the CDC statistics, just 19% of adults and 8% of children have received the most recent COVID-19 vaccination, while 17% of persons aged 60 and up have received the most recent RSV vaccine. This season, less than half of all children and adults have had a flu shot.
Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease researcher at Vanderbilt University, lamented that the human population has unfortunately neglected influenza and improved COVID-19 vaccinations. "It's not too late to get vaccinated, because these viruses are going to be around for a while yet," he added.
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