XBB.1.5, BA.2.86, JN.1: How to understand the Covid-19 alphabet soupĪccording to the CDC, hospital bed capacity remains “stable” nationally, including within intensive care units. Positive COVID-19 self-tests mrs/Moment RF/Getty Images “But it’s not too late to get vaccinated, because these viruses are going to be around for a while yet.” William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University. “We have, as a population, underutilized both influenza and the updated Covid vaccines, unfortunately,” said Dr. Less than half of adults and children have gotten the flu vaccine this season. Just 19% of adults and 8% of children have gotten the latest Covid-19 vaccine, and 17% of adults 60 and older have gotten the new RSV vaccine, CDC data shows. Vaccines can help prevent severe illness and death, but uptake remains low this season – despite a historic first, with vaccines available to protect against each of the three major viruses. “So don’t be disappointed or surprised that we even see a bigger bump as we head into January.” “Remember, all of these numbers are before people got together for the holidays,” Hotez said. Now, flu-like activity is high or very high in two-thirds of the United States, including California, New York City and Washington, as well as throughout the South and Northeast, according to the CDC. Respiratory virus activity has been on the rise for weeks. “So it’s a triple threat, and arguably a fourth threat because we also have pneumococcal pneumonia, which complicates a lot of these virus infections.” Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine. So it’s Covid, it’s flu, and we can’t diminish the importance of RSV,” said Dr. “It’s a wave of winter respiratory pathogens, especially respiratory viruses. Overall, young children and older adults are most affected. RSV activity is showing signs of slowing in some parts of the US, but many measures, including hospitalization rates, remain elevated. The CDC estimates that there have been more than 7 million illnesses, 73,000 hospitalizations and 4,500 deaths related to the flu this season, and multiple indicators are high and rising. Young man washing hands - stock photo Solskin/Digital Vision/Getty Imagesĭid you gather in large groups for the holidays? A virus may be your post-holiday presentĪnd while Covid-19 remains the leading driver of respiratory virus hospitalizations, flu activity is rising rapidly.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |