LVHN warns of fall, winter ‘tripledemic’
Lehigh Valley Health Network is urging community members to take steps to protect themselves and their families this fall and winter from COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syntactical virus, better known as RSV.
Experts have been warning for some time about how the three highly infectious viruses are likely to hit the U.S. and the Lehigh Valley hard over the next few months. Spread of flu took off earlier than usual this year and many infectious disease experts have warned this season is
likely to be a particularly bad one. Pediatric departments of hospitals have seen a sharp increase in cases and hospitalizations in RSV. There also are several new highly infectious subvariants of the omicron coronavirus variant such as BA.4.6, BQ.1, BF.7, BQ.1.1, along with the still dominant BA.5 subvariant that are circulating.
“Our goal is not to scare, our goal is to inform and protect our communities so people know what to do to prevent and if they do get infected what they can do to get treated,” Dr. Timothy Friel, chairman of LVHN’s department of medicine, said during a Facebook town hall Tuesday.
Friel said the measures used to decrease the spread of COVID like masking, social distancing and staying home were also effective at decreasing spread of flu and RSV during the early years of the pandemic.
However, that has also led to young children who have never had RSV or flu before, and therefore have no natural immunity. On top of this, very few people are continuing to follow those anti-COVID practices, leaving them vulnerable to these illnesses.
Dr. Tibisay Villalobos, a pediatric infectious disease specialist, said the flu is not something to take lightly and there have already been two pediatric flu deaths this season. In the 2019-2020 season there were 200 flu-related pediatric deaths.
For adults and older children, RSV causes symptoms similar to the common cold, such as a runny nose and a cough. But in young children and infants, RSV can cause bronchiolitis, an inflammation and swelling of the smallest airways in the body. The condition can lead to difficulty breathing and make it hard for them to drink and eat.
Though the omicron subvariants have generally resulted in less severe COVID illness, it is still deadly. Throughout the month of October, the U.S. was seeing hundreds of people die from COVID each day on average. Even for those with mild or asymptomatic infections, the debilitating symptoms associated with long COVID can occur.
Villalobos reminded community members that there are readily available vaccines for flu and COVID that are highly effective at reducing risk of severe illness. However, an RSV vaccineis not yet publicly available.
For those who suspect they or a family member might have flu, COVID or RSV, there are tests that can detect and differentiate between the three viruses that are available at most LVHN-operated pediatric offices and urgent care centers.
Getting COVID diagnosed quickly is an important step in getting it treated, especially for those at higher risk for moderate or severe illness. Friel encouraged people who develop symptoms like fever, sore throat, fatigue, aches and/or chills to get tested as soon as possible.
Prescription anti-virals such as Paxlovid must be taken within the first five days of exposure to be effective. . Monoclonal antibodies are still available for people who can’t take Paxlovid, but Friel said continued use of the current version of monoclonal bodies may not be so effective against newer variants.
Villalobos said although masking is very effective at decreasing spread of COVID and flu, it isn’t the exact same story with RSV. Unlike some other respiratory viruses, RSV can be transmitted by contact, so she encouraged cleaning of frequently touched surfaces, proper hand washing and not letting kids share utensils or food.
She recommended that when children do get sick but don’t need to be hospitalized, parents should do what they can to make that time easier for their child, and make sure they are comfortable, hydrated and properly nourished. For children with RSV who are dealing with nasal congestion, parents should do what they can to ensure their children’s nasal passages are clear.
She said children who are sick shouldn’t go to school. Villalobos also recommended that parents try to keep their sick children separate from their non-sick children , even though this can be difficult. Friel added sick adults should also be cognizant of not giving their illness to others.
“If you are sick, stay home,” Friel said. “I say that whether you are a 55-yearold who has flu-like symptoms or you are a family member of a 6-month-old who has RSV symptoms. Being thoughtful about exposing others and limiting that exposure — doing your best to protect your neighbors, your friends and other folks in your community.”