Winter Flu Season Off To A Fast Start As Other Viruses Spread

[RAMROD 117,892]

The U.S. flu season is off to an unusually fast start, adding to an autumn mix of viruses that have been filling hospitals and doctor waiting rooms.

Reports of flu are already high in 17 states, and the hospitalization rate hasn’t been this high this early since the 2009 swine flu pandemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So far, there have been an estimated 730 flu deaths, including at least two children.

The winter flu season usually flu ramps up in December or January.

“We are seeing more cases than we would expect at this time,” the CDC’s Dr. José Romero said Friday.

A busy flu season is not unexpected. The nation saw two mild seasons during the COVID-19 pandemic, and experts have worried that flu might come back strong as a COVID-weary public has moved away from masks and other measures that tamp the spread of respiratory viruses.

Community Montessori school in New Albany, Indiana, switched to virtual teaching at the end of the week because so many students were out sick with the flu. Beginning Monday, the school’s 500 students will go back to wearing masks.

At the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital, beds have been full for 54 days straight.

RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a common cause in kids of coldlike symptoms such as runny nose, cough and fever. While RSV continues to rise nationally, preliminary data suggest a decline in the Southeast, Southwest, and in an area that includes Rocky Mountain states and the Dakotas, CDC officials said. 

Experts think infections from RSV increased recently because children are more vulnerable now, no longer sheltered from common bugs as they were during pandemic lockdowns. 

RSV illnesses seem to be unusually severe, he added.

Comer has had to turn down transfer requests from other hospitals because there was no room. Chicago-area hospitals had been able to transfer kids to Missouri, Iowa, and Wisconsin, but that’s stopped. “They have no more beds, either,” Cunningham said.

There’s not yet a vaccine against RSV, but there are shots for flu and COVID-19. Health officials say flu vaccinations are down in both kids and adults compared to before the pandemic, although up in children from last year.

 

https://apnews.com/article/science-health-pandemics-covid-flu-7c784678637e51d4a8508f5dde70cded

It is time to pick up the mask again, hunties! And STAY AWAY FROM FLOO!! 

 

[Helxig 45,575]

I forgot the US was coming into cold and flu season. God. Good luck you guys!

Our country only just fully got rid of the mask mandates a couple months ago because we've come out of cold and flu season. I'm so happy it's spring here 

Stay safe and healthy and remember all the practises we learned during covid to stay safe

[badfaith 5,716]

My siblings and I just one by one got fever too 

[weed 79,273]

I'm just now getting over something lol over 10-14 days started w congestion, super runny nose (like 24/7), and then a sore throat, and a cough that's still lingering

jut got my flu shot yesterday 

[TheSine 6,972]

I hate germs and viruses. Good luck everyone.

[sarcamstic 1,603]

currently sick with some type of flu/sinus infection  thought i was the only one getting sick! glad to know i’m not 

[SharkmanthaC 115,113]

We’ve had so many students out with the flu. 
 

Get your flu shot! 
 

I’m so hopeful for an RSV vaccine. 

[Dojo 19,823]

we will NOT be welcoming it in our bodies

[Economy 53,070]

59 minutes ago, SamanthaC said:

We’ve had so many students out with the flu. 
 

Get your flu shot! 
 

I’m so hopeful for an RSV vaccine. 

Pardon the stupid question but what's that?

[Economy 53,070]

I'm not surprised it's coming back strong. Social distancing even tho done focusing on COVID ended up slowing spread of other stuff too and our immune systems haven't had to adapt to the lastest viruses as much

 

Now that masks are dropped and ppl are less socially distanced we're all fresh meat 

[SharkmanthaC 115,113]

2 minutes ago, Economy said:

Pardon the stupid question but what's that?

RSV is a respiratory virus that can be super deadly in babies and children. (Although isn’t always.) Adults can pass it to babies without knowing they care carrying the virus. It’s why people say don’t kiss babies. A vaccine for it would be amazing and save lives. It’s in the works it seems. 

[Economy 53,070]

2 minutes ago, SamanthaC said:

RSV is a respiratory virus that can be super deadly in babies and children. (Although isn’t always.) Adults can pass it to babies without knowing they care carrying the virus. It’s why people say don’t kiss babies. A vaccine for it would be amazing and save lives. It’s in the works it seems. 

Oh yes I've heard of that. I didn't remember the name tho

 

Is it common?

[nATAH 57,780]

12 minutes ago, SamanthaC said:

RSV is a respiratory virus that can be super deadly in babies and children. (Although isn’t always.) Adults can pass it to babies without knowing they care carrying the virus. It’s why people say don’t kiss babies. A vaccine for it would be amazing and save lives. It’s in the works it seems. 

i've actually never heard of the "don't kiss babies" thing, now i know not to (not that i'm ever around babies) 

[SharkmanthaC 115,113]

6 hours ago, Economy said:

Oh yes I've heard of that. I didn't remember the name tho

 

Is it common?

It can be. It’s been spreading like wildfire this year. 

[Guillaume Hamon 7,046]

6 hours ago, NATAH said:

i've actually never heard of the "don't kiss babies" thing, now i know not to (not that i'm ever around babies) 

Don't worry I had never heard about it either.