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Getty Images<\/p>\n <\/span> \nRising flu cases, surges in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and the strong possibility of yet another winter COVID surge, could put the US at the center of three coinciding epidemics\u2014or a \u201ctripledemic\u201d\u2014as we head into the winter months.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cIt\u2019s always concerning when you have three respiratory viruses\u2014RSV, influenza, and COVID\u2014rising at the same time,\u201d White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Ashish Jha, MD, MPH, said in an interview with CBS News.<\/span> \u201cIf all three of them rise at the same time, again if people are not vaccinated, then we can start seeing a lot more hospitalizations.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \nWhile most cases of these three viruses are typically on the milder side, together they may be especially worrisome for infants and the elderly, as well as immunocompromised people and those who aren\u2019t vaccinated\u2014and it could put additional strain on the US healthcare system.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nHere\u2019s what to know about a possibly impending tripledemic, including why these viruses are resurfacing with such force, who might be at the greatest risk of getting sick in the weeks and months ahead, and how to keep families and communities safe.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nThough respiratory viruses tend to rise during colder months, flu and RSV cases seem to be increasing earlier than usual this year or at a different time.\n<\/p>\n \nFlu season typically peaks between December and February, the Centers for Disease Control Prevention (CDC) said, and prior to the pandemic, the same used to be true for RSV.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nBut as of now, flu rates are much higher this year than every season since 2017.<\/span> And as for RSV, rates are fast approaching peaks from the last surge which was in July, August, and September of 2021.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nThe most likely reason for this, experts said, is that our adherence to COVID precautions kept us safe from more than just the coronavirus. Masks, social distancing, and other measures kept other respiratory viruses low and, in the case of RSV, disrupted seasonal patterns.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cThe immunity cycles are all whacked out,\u201d Peter Chin-Hong, MD, professor of medicine and infectious disease specialist at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, told Health<\/em>. \u201cRestrictions have been dropped and more people are getting together. It is getting colder, even though it’s not exactly the season. But RSV is taking advantage.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \nAnd though people can build immunity to the flu and to COVID with booster shots, there\u2019s no vaccine currently available for RSV.<\/span> This leaves infants and the elderly at an elevated risk, explained William Petri, MD, PhD, professor and physician of infectious diseases at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cThere's less pre-existing immunity in children because, for the most part, wearing masks and social distancing protected them from RSV infection over the last two years, making them perhaps more vulnerable to being infected now,\u201d Dr. Petri told Health<\/em>.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nAdults, teens, and older children also likely have waning or no immunity to RSV following pandemic precautions, and they can pass the virus to younger kids and infants, said Dr. Chin-Hong. What probably presents as a mild cold to them can be much more intense for infants and the elderly.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nKids spending more time in daycares and schools this fall is also likely aiding in exposure and, by extension, driving case numbers up, explained Arlene Se\u00f1a, MD, MPH, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at University of North Carolina School of Medicine. \n<\/p>\n RSV vs. COVID-19: Symptoms to Watch For, According to Doctors<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nFor most people, COVID, the flu, and RSV are all relatively mild illnesses that look similar\u2014they\u2019re all respiratory viruses that can cause symptoms like fever, cough, and congestion or a runny nose, among others.\n<\/p>\n \nThough most people have had COVID, flu, or RSV at least once, if not multiple times throughout their lives, the viruses can still be especially dangerous for some, including infants and the elderly, and immunocompromised people.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nThere are concerns that if each virus surges and peaks around the same time, this \u201ctripledemic\u201d could be a huge problem, particularly for those who need treatment at hospitals or healthcare facilities.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cPediatric hospitals haven't typically, traditionally been large capacity hospitals, and they also vary from community to community,\u201d said Dr. Chin-Hong. \u201cA lot of the things that we saw in adult hospital care, it's already starting in the pediatrics\u2014they don't have a large workforce. It's just burnout […] there's less give in that system.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nAlready, some pediatric hospitals are reporting capacity issues.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cThe continued influx of patients in the emergency departments seeking care for the flu, RSV and other pulmonary infections, as well as the continued mental and behavioral health crises coupled with the growing medical workforce crisis\u2014we simply do not have enough pediatric specialists to staff the beds in our children's hospitals,\u201d said Children\u2019s Hospital Association CEO Mark Wietecha in a press release.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nIf flu, COVID, and RSV were to peak around a similar time, this could certainly tax hospitals and healthcare systems to an even greater degree. And strained hospital resources often mean worse care for patients.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \nUnfortunately, it\u2019s not possible to predict exactly when each of these respiratory viruses will peak, said Dr. Chin-Hong.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nCOVID case numbers are currently declining, but experts are expecting a winter surge around the holidays similar to trends from the last two years, said Dr. Petri. And with the rise of the newer variants\u2014BA.4.6, BQ.1, BF.7 and others\u2014bivalent vaccines may also not prevent people from getting infected with COVID, he added, though they do still prevent serious illness.<\/span> Experts don\u2019t know if or when the US could see a boom in cases, though.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nAnd because flu and RSV are similarly unpredictable this year, it\u2019s hard to know if we\u2019ll reach a truly dangerous point of \u201ctripledemic\u201d where the three viruses will peak together.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n New COVID Variants May Fuel a Winter Surge\u2014What to Know About BQ.1, XBB, and Others<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \nIn the face of a possible \u201ctripledemic,\u201d experts are again recommending that people protect themselves against flu and COVID by getting vaccinated.\n<\/p>\n \nDealing with RSV, unfortunately, is a bit more complicated.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n\u201c\u200b\u200bRSV is like the hole in our armor because there's no vaccine and there's no therapy,\u201d said Dr. Petri.\n<\/p>\n \nPeople can get treatments for the flu and COVID in hospitals if they start experiencing severe symptoms, but RSV care at hospitals is just supportive, according to Dr. Chin-Hong.<\/span><\/span> There is a monoclonal antibody treatment to help protect severe disease, but it\u2019s typically only used for children who are immunocompromised. And, Dr. Petri added, it\u2019s of limited effectiveness.\n<\/p>\n \nBecause of the gaps in prevention and treatment for RSV, there may be some good pandemic-era transmission prevention measures that could be useful as case numbers for RSV, flu, and COVID increase.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cDon't go to work if you\u2019re sick, don\u2019t go out. If you are, wear a mask, wash your hands religiously,\u201d Dr. Chin-Hong said, \u201cWe've de-emphasized washing hands for COVID but for RSV, influenza, other respiratory viruses, it's actually really, really important.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nBeing extra careful and masking around the elderly and young infants is also a good idea, he added, as is wiping down surfaces if you\u2019re sick.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nHowever, the threat of this \u201ctripledemic\u201d isn\u2019t grounds for re-implementing the strictest of COVID measures, according to Dr. Petri. It would be most useful to keep an eye on CDC case counts for all viruses in your community if possible and make decisions about which prevention methods to use from there.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cIt's hard just to stay masked all the time,\u201d Dr. Petri said. \u201cIf we could use masks when we think they're going to be of the greatest benefit, when transmission is the highest, I think that [would] probably improve adherence to mask wearing and just be a lot easier for all of us to comply.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \nAnd <\/strong>even though we have the least amount of tools to protect against it, RSV is much less transmissible than COVID, said Dr. Chin-Hong. Another silver lining is that a vaccine for RSV could be just a few years away, added Dr. Petri.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \nThough the risk of a bad fall and winter respiratory virus season is very real, it may just mean we have to be a bit more vigilant about leaning on vaccinations, staying home when we\u2019re sick, and maybe sometimes masking to make sure that hospitalizations don\u2019t climb too high. And, it\u2019s certainly not too late to get the vaccines that are available.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n\u201cIt's a great time to get your flu and your COVID boosters,\u201d said Dr. Petri. \u201cJust because we're really going to be getting into the time when transmission is highest and [it] should be nice to have your immunity boosted to prepare for that.\u201d\n<\/p>\n CDC Recommends Stronger Flu Shots for People 65 and Older This Season\u2014Here's Why<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Photo: Getty Images Fast Facts With flu and RSV cases rising earlier and faster than anticipated, experts are worried that the two respiratory viruses could peak alongside COVID this winter, creating a "tripledemic." Hospitalizations of infants, the elderly, and the immunocompromised who get sick with these three viruses could put a strain on the U.S. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17054,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[410,619],"tags":[116,620],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17054"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17054"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17054\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17054"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\nFast Facts<\/h3>\n
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Fewer COVID Precautions May Fuel Rise of Other Viruses <\/span> <\/h2>\n
Issues Could Arise if Peaks Converge <\/span> <\/h2>\n
How to Protect Yourself This Winter <\/span> <\/h2>\n