November 03, 2022 00:00
Author:
University of Utah Health Communications
information in english
Illnesses due to circulating respiratory viruses are increasing rapidly throughout the country. Prevention measures practiced at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic limited seasonal respiratory illnesses. Now that security measures are more relaxed, healthcare systems have seen an early start for some of these viruses. There are concerns in the health care community about a possible “tripledemia.”
“The real concern in this term ‘tripledemia’ comes from the idea that they can all occur at the same time,” says Andrew Pavia, MD, chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Utah Health. “This could overwhelm many of our healthcare systems.” These systems are already battling staff shortages and burnout after nearly three years of COVID-19.
The combination of a sudden increase in illness and staff shortages can have a devastating impact on healthcare systems. This has already happened in some areas of the country. That’s why it’s important to take steps to protect ourselves and others in the coming months. Here are three respiratory viruses that are on the rise across the country.
1. RSV (respiratory syncytial virus)
RSV is a common infection that causes cold-like symptoms. in most people. RSV cases generally increase from late fall to early spring. Both adults and children can be infected with RSV, but the virus can be more serious for young children and older adults. RSV can cause bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children under one year of age. About 50,000 children are hospitalized for RSV each year.
“Most of us get RSV many times during our lives,” says Pavia. “But when it’s contracted in the first two to three years of life, it can cause a nasty infection with wheezing, profuse discharge, and difficulty breathing and eating.”
RSV is also a threat to older adults. About 177,000 older adults (aged 70 and older) are hospitalized for RSV each year. Although RSV is a mild cold for most people, it can cause very serious illness in people with weakened immune systems, including pregnant women.
2. Flu
The flu or flu is an infection of the nose, throat and lungs. It causes between 20,000 and 50,000 deaths each year in the US, with the exception of the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The flu was largely absent in the winter of 2020-21 and was relatively mild last winter.
The flu can cause serious illness, hospitalization, and death in people of all ages, but in children younger than two, adults older than 65, pregnant women, people with conditions like heart disease, lung disease, and diabetes, and people with immune systems. weakened. they are more vulnerable and more likely to become seriously ill.
The good news is that there is a vaccine. “While the vaccine is not perfect, it is a good tool,” says Pavia. “We have been recommending the flu vaccine to all children for nearly two decades to prevent serious illness and hospitalizations.” According to Pavia, you become more vulnerable to the flu as you age: Your risk of severe flu increases substantially after age 50 and even more after age 60. The CDC recommends that everyone over the age of six months get a flu shot every year.
3. COVID-19
COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that causes a wide range of symptoms ranging from mild to severe and often fatal infection. COVID-19 cases have generally increased in the fall and peak in the winter, although this may depend on newly emerging variants of the COVID-19 virus. Infectious disease experts like Pavia expect an upcoming rise due to the emergence of various Omicron sub-variants.
Anyone can get COVID-19, but older adults, people with certain medical conditions, pregnant women, and young babies are at high risk of developing severe illness. Although children are not as likely to get seriously ill with COVID-19 as adults, some children can still become seriously ill.
“Most kids who get COVID-19 probably won’t end up in the hospital or intensive care unit,” says Pavia. “But at any given time, we have about a dozen kids in the hospital with COVID-19, so it’s not mild or trivial.”
The COVID-19 vaccine is available to anyone six months of age or older. And anyone five and older can get an upgraded booster. Like the flu shot, the COVID-19 vaccines don’t prevent you from getting the virus, but they do help prevent serious illness, hospitalization, and death.
How can you tell the difference between RSV, flu, and COVID-19?
All three respiratory viruses can cause cold-like symptoms, as well as fever, cough, and shortness of breath. While there are differences between the three viruses, it’s hard to tell from their symptoms alone. The best way to determine which infection you have is to see a doctor and get tested.
It is possible to be infected with more than one virus at the same time. Having a virus can lower immunity and increase the risk of getting another infection. If the infections occur together, the symptoms can get worse.
“Last year, we saw a bit of RSV combined with COVID-19 infection,” Pavia says. Some data shows that if children get two viruses at the same time, they are sicker than if they got just one. Pavia says that many of the children admitted to the pediatric ICU at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital last year had RSV and COVID-19.
Can masks help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses?
Wearing a face mask has become very common during the COVID-19 pandemic. But Pavia says the masks are even more effective at preventing the spread of the flu. “The flu almost completely disappeared the first year of the pandemic,” says Pavia. “That’s because the flu is not as transmissible as COVID-19, so masks have been shown to work very well.” Masks also help prevent RSV because they can contain highly infectious mucus, which can be spread when you sneeze.
It is always good to be considerate of who is next to you. “You never know if the person he’s standing next to is the parent of a child with cancer or someone who is immunocompromised,” says Pavia. “You could be putting them at tremendous risk.”
What else can someone do to protect themselves?
Prevention measures such as wearing a high-quality mask in crowded areas, physical distancing, frequent hand washing, and staying home when sick are all good ways to help protect yourself and others. But the best way to protect yourself is to get vaccinated.
Source: news.google.com