The flu, COVID, and RSV are driving respiratory-illness activity up nationwide.
Welcome to sick season.
According to the CDC, New York City — along with New Jersey and at least 16 other states — is now experiencing “high” to “very high” levels of respiratory-illness activity as measured by the number of weekly visits to health-care providers and emergency rooms by people having symptoms of fever, cough, and sore throat.
The culprits are the usual suspects: this year’s strains of influenza, COVID, and RSV. And though flulike-illness levels have been above baseline nationally for several consecutive weeks, the CDC warns that we still haven’t hit the peak.
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As always, seniors remain the most at-risk demographic for severe outcomes from respiratory illnesses, which is why the low vaccination rates for that group remain troubling.
Beyond vaccination, for everyone, the best way to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses like the flu and RSV is regular handwashing; avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth; and staying home if you get sick. High-filtration face masks still work great, too, and not just for avoiding COVID.
Saw a guy on the subway having a cough the whole ride, two weeks later I have COVID again. I find myself wearing a mask this month cause I don't want a flu or anything, and not a single person has a mask on and is looking at me like I'm a psycho for wearing a mask.
I have seen so many sniffly and sick people out and about recently and not a single one had a mask. It's like everyone just said fuck it, forgot about the pandemic and just went back to no masks and looking at masked people like they're crazy
Its almost like the government told us we were on our own to stay safe, then stopped funding the tracking, testing, and reporting that would let us do so.
I just had the nastiest something I’ve had in a LONG time last week. Got tested for covid, influenza, and strep, all negative. Guessing it was RSV or just a really bad cold, not sure.
My partner got it from me and got hit twice as hard and wound up with a 103 degree fever and unable to get out of bed.
Keep crowding those emergency rooms for non emergencies folks...that certainly help those in need and reduce wait times and healthcare workers workloads...