Experts are worried about the “tridemic” of flu, RSV and coronavirus – In October 1,674 patients were hospitalized for flu

Influenza, RSV and SARS-CoV-2. Three respiratory viruses, which are transmitted in the same way and tend to show an increase in cases during the winter months. Their simultaneous appearance worries scientists, as both children and adults have had less contact with others in the last 2 seasons and for this reason do not have the natural immunity against influenza (influenza) and syncytial virus this year (RSV), which was observed before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her doctors Therapeutic Clinic of the School of Medicine of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Theodora Psaltopoulou, Rodanthi Eleni Syrigou, Yannis Danasis, Panos Malandrakis, and Thanos Dimopoulos (Rector of EKPA) summarize the data of a recent publication on “tri-disease” in the scientific journal WebMD.

Flu season has started early, and as of Oct. 21, early increases in seasonal flu activity have been reported across most of the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Meanwhile, Children’s Hospitals across the US are reporting increased cases of RSV.

University of North Carolina Professor of Epidemiology, Justin Lessler, reports that it is difficult to predict the exact month when the flu virus will peak. For SARS-CoV-2, some epidemiological models predict some peaks before Christmas and others predict a new wave in 2023. For influenza, the model predicts an earlier than usual onset. While flu activity is relatively low, the season has started early, according to CDC data. For the week ending October 21, 1,674 patients were hospitalized for the flu, a number higher than in the summer months, but lower than the 2,675 hospitalizations for the week of May 15, 2022. Meanwhile, new cases of Covid-19 fell by 12% in last two weeks, while from the RSV virus it was at 15% in contrast to 2021 which was at 11%.

As stated by Timothy Brewer professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at UCLA, the number of childhood flu deaths typically ranges from 37 to 199 annually, according to CDC records. But in 2020-2021, the CDC recorded one pediatric flu death in the US. Due to the restrictive measures of the pandemic the population does not have the natural immunity against influenza and RSV.

RSV can pose a risk to anyone, as there is no corresponding vaccine, but the greatest risk is to children under 5 years of age, especially infants under 1 year of age, and to adults over 65 years of age. Symptoms include runny nose, decreased appetite, cough, sneezing, fever and wheezing. But in young infants, there may be only reduced activity, irritability and breathing problems. Symptoms of influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV may overlap. But each can involve breathing problems, which can land vulnerable populations in hospital.

Timothy Brewer states that in order to avoid the “tri-demic” or any other infection, in case of symptoms it is recommended to stay at home, as well as the use of individual protection measures, both for the better recovery of the patients, but also to avoid the of transmissibility and the spread in the environment of each patient and, by extension, in the wider population.

Read the News today and get the latest news.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news.