The United States continues to experience an unusually high and early uptick in flu and respiratory syncytial virus infections, straining a health-care system trying to recover from the worst of the coronavirus pandemic.
While new coronavirus cases leveled off in recent weeks, federal health officials warned Friday they are confronting elevated levels of other viruses that are roaring back as pre-pandemic life returns and many Americans, particularly children, lack immunity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an advisory about respiratory viruses to thousands of health care providers in an attempt to bolster testing, treatment and vaccination.
"With increased RSV infections, a rising number of flu cases and the ongoing burden of covid-19 in our communities, there's no doubt we will face some challenges this winter," Dawn O'Connell, assistant Health and Human Services secretary for preparedness and response, told reporters Friday. "But it's important to remember … that RSV and flu are not new, and we have safe and effective vaccines for covid-19 and the flu.
David Rubin, who tracks respiratory viruses for the PolicyLab at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said it's premature to declare a hospital crisis. A youth mental health crisis and a nationwide shortage of pediatric beds have made it harder for the health-care system to handle the rise in respiratory cases, he said. But adult hospitals are better positioned to respond.
Those precautions including staying up to date on vaccines, staying home while sick and washing hands regularly. Often missing or downplayed in government recommendations is mask-wearing, a measure rarely adopted during past respiratory virus seasons but proven effective at blunting the spread of coronavirus.
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