Triple Demic 2022: Covid, Flu, RSV

The United States is already entering one of the most severe winter sickness seasons in decades. After nearly three years of isolation, children and adults are back in crowds. No mask, no distance, the virus is waiting with open arms.At least, open the RNA strands.

The coming winter could be even worse as what is now called the triple demic, which includes SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19), influenza (influenza) and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), is already spreading rapidly. There is a nature.

Infants, especially those who have not been vaccinated, are hospitalized with influenza, Covid-19, and RSV infections at record rates. RSV infections unexpectedly surged in the late spring and early summer of 2022, sickening and hospitalizing babies, toddlers and older children. It calmed down a little in the summer and became raging in early autumn.

One surprising twist is adult I also developed RSV. Although most adults with RSV have mild cold symptoms, more adults are becoming very ill and hospitalized due to RSV infection than in previous years.according to Centers for Disease Control, Adult hospitalization rates for RSV are 10 times higher than in the previous year.

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What is RSV?

RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is not newChildren usually develop everything from cold-like symptoms to more intense coughs and even difficulty breathing. The infant at highest risk is eligible for her RSV prophylaxis, called Palivizumab. This is not a vaccine, but an antibody therapy offered in limited supply to a specific group of infants at high risk of RSV-related hospitalization.

as i reported forbes, the American Academy of Pediatrics expanded eligibility for palivizumab this year, as it sees a significant spike in RSV infections. Despite the growing use of palivizumab, hospital beds are filled with previously healthy “low-risk” children suffering complications from RSV infection.

One of the bright spots on the triple demic front is that hospitalizations for children with RSV complications appear to have peaked. But while the daily new hospitalization rate is declining across much of the United States, pediatric hospital beds in both intensive care units and general wards are still filled with children recovering from her RSV. An infant may remain hospitalized for her RSV infection from 2 days to 21 days, so the decline in new hospitalizations does not open up available beds.

in Colorado, denver post reported that the state is only opening two ICU beds for children the week of Thanksgiving. While RSV hospitalization rates have peaked and Covid-19 hospitalization rates have stabilized, the rise in new flu hospitalizations is further straining the state’s healthcare system.

Increased risk of influenza

Whole country, over 35% Eight children aged 6 months to 17 years have received the flu vaccine, similar to last winter’s flu season. The difference this year is that almost all of her Covid mitigation measures have been lifted, so flu infections have increased significantly over the last two winters.Influenza-related hospitalization rose sharply Child and adult infection rates over the past few weeks have been much higher this time of year compared to previous flu seasons. until the end of November Seven Children have died from the flu in the United States so far this season.

We don’t yet know how the Thanksgiving trip will affect our airways. More Americans have traveled this year than in decades because we are already in a tough time when it comes to the infectious virus, and some states in the Southwest already saw Covid-19 cases spike before winter. doing. New RSV-related hospitalizations may have peaked, but the sharp rise in influenza-related illness, combined with low vaccination coverage, may not bode well in the coming months.

Influenza is certainly not a new virus, and in the last few years, before 2020, it typically occurred in the 20,000 to 60,000 range in the United States. deaths per year Due to flu complications. Vaccines to protect against influenza are adjusted seasonally based on the previous season’s influenza strain to minimize the risk of infection, complications, hospitalization, and influenza-related death. In most years, he received less than 50% of the population. influenza vaccinationapproved and recommended for all ages 6 months and older.

What is the difference between Covid, Flu and RSV?

The symptoms of these three respiratory infections are very similar.according to University of California, Davis infectious disease specialist Dr. Dean Blumbergthere are some differences to be noted between these three diseases.

COVID19 symptoms:

• fever or chills
• Respiratory symptoms (cough, sore throat, runny nose)
• loss of taste and smell
• Malaise
• sore throat
• muscle or body pain
• headache

Flu symptoms:

• Sudden fever or chills
• Respiratory symptoms (cough, sore throat, runny nose)
• muscle pain
• headache

Symptoms of RSV:

• runny nose
• cough
• heat
• Wheezing
• loss of appetite

What can you do to reduce your risk of illness?

It doesn’t sound like a broken record, but the means of reducing disease risk remain the same as they have been for years. Keeping your Covid vaccination up to date clearly reduces the risk of complications from Covid infection. This includes the latest bivalent Covid booster vaccine.

Everyone over the age of 6 months should get an annual flu vaccine. This is especially important for pregnant women. This allows protection against influenza to be passed on to a newborn in her first six months before the baby is eligible to be vaccinated. This transmitted protection also applies to Covid-19. Pregnant women vaccinated against Covid-19 transfer antibody protection to their fetuses. This protection lasts for the first few months of your baby’s life.

Regarding RSV protection, although there is no vaccine for RSV protection, Pfizer recently published promising data on the administration of RSV vaccine to pregnant women. This helps protect vulnerable newborns.

Other measures of protection continue to include consideration of masks in indoor environments this winter. Masks have been clearly shown to reduce the risk of viral transmission and thereby reduce the risk of illness. Mask skeptics continue to wear masks to keep themselves from getting sick while health care workers tend to the sick, and during this surge, past, and in the future, care for the sick. Thank you for showing up to do this.

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