Friday, May 3, 2024
With October here and temperatures dropping, flu season has arrived, new COVID-19 vaccines are here, and it’s time to get prepared and informed.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Fall and winter are a time when viruses that cause respiratory disease usually circulate more heavily in the community.”
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases held its annual conference on preventing disease during the fall and winter on Sept. 28.
“This season is more complex than ever as in addition to flu and COVID-19, we also have respiratory syncytial virus,” Patsy Stinchfield, pediatric nurse practitioner and president of the NFID said during the conference. “The good news is that for the first time we also have vaccines available to help protect against these three viruses responsible for the most hospitalizations in the United States.”
The Flu
According to the CDC, “The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat and sometimes the lungs. It can cause mild to severe illness and sometimes lead to death.”
During the 2022-2023 season, the CDC reported the peak of flu season was in early December, where for the entire season there were 31 million people who got sick with the flu, 14 million who visited a health care provider, 360,000 were hospitalized with flu, and 21,000 people died due to flu illness or related complications.
There were also 176 flu-related deaths among children reported, which is the third largest number of deaths in children reported during flu season since reporting began in 2004.
Everyone is at risk of getting the flu but some at higher risk include those 65 years and older, and anyone with certain chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease. Some at risk also include women who are pregnant and children younger than 5 years old and especially those two and younger.
Flu symptoms can include fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, and fatigue.
Most people who get the flu will recover in a few days to less than two weeks, but some will develop complications such as pneumonia, sinus or ear infections, inflammation of the heart, brain, or muscle tissues, and multi-organ failure according to the CDC.
Children need to get medical attention immediately if they have trouble breathing, bluish lips or face, ribs pulling in with each breath, chest pain, severe muscle pain, dehydration, seizures or are not alert.
Adults need to seek medical care immediately if they experience difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, persistent pain or pressure in chest or abdomen, persistent dizziness, confusion, inability to arouse, seizures, not urinating, severe muscle pain, severe weakness or unsteadiness, fever or cough that improves but then worsens upon return and worsening of chronic medical conditions.
Some steps that can help relieve flu symptoms include drinking fluids like water, warm soup, and drinks that contain minerals. It’s also important to rest at home and take pain medicine, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The CDC says that the best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccine every year. During the 2022-2023 flu season, 49 percent of the overall U.S. population six months and older received a flu vaccine. This is a two percent decrease from the previous season.
“Flu vaccination reduces the burden of flu illness, hospitalization, and death and getting vaccinated could also help protect others who are at higher risk of serious flu illness, like babies and young children, older people, and people with certain chronic health conditions,” according to the CDC.
Flu shots are available at your local pharmacies or local health care provider.
COVID-19
According to the CDC, “COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) is a disease caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2.”
According to the most recent update on trends from the CDC in March, a total of 14,842 cases have been reported in Hood County with a total of 302 reported deaths.
Last year, the highest number of cases came from the month of January with the highest daily average at 94. January also had the highest number of patients that were hospitalized with 1,017 being the peak, compared to 2021 when the peak reached 1,055 people.
Symptoms of COVID-19 can range from mild to severe and may appear two to 14 days after exposure to the virus. Some symptoms can include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.
Symptoms can differ depending on one’s vaccination status.
It is important to seek medical attention if someone is experiencing trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion, inability to wake or stay awake, pale, gray, or blue-colored skin or nail beds, depending on skin tone.
Some ways to relieve symptoms include drinking fluids, getting plenty of rest and taking pain medicine.
The CDC recommends everyone six months and older to get an updated COVID-19 vaccine this season. The vaccines are from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.
“The virus that causes COVID-19 is always changing, and protection from COVID-19 vaccines declines over time. Receiving an updated vaccine can restore protection and provide enhanced protection against the variants currently responsible for most infections and hospitalizations in the U.S. Last season, those who received a 2022-2023 vaccine saw greater protection against illness and hospitalization compared to those who did not receive an updated vaccine,” according to the CDC.
To receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine, visit your local pharmacy or local health provider.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus
RSV is a common respiratory virus that causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two, but it can become serious. Infants and older adults are more likely to develop severe RSV and need hospitalization.
According to the CDC, each year in the United States, RSV leads to approximately 2.1 million outpatient (non-hospitalization) visits among children younger than 5 years old, 58,000-80,000 hospitalizations among children younger than 5 years old, 60,000-160,000 hospitalizations among adults 65 years and older, 6,000-10,000 deaths among adults 65 years and older and 100 to 300 deaths in children younger than 5 years old.
Symptoms usually appear within four to six days after getting infected. Symptoms usually include a runny nose, decrease in appetite, coughing, sneezing, fever and wheezing. Vaccines are available to protect older adults from severe RSV.
Symptoms typically appear in stages and not all at once.
RSV can also cause more severe infections such as bronchiolitis, an inflammation of the small airways in the lung, and pneumonia, an infection of the lungs. It is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children younger than one year of age.
Healthy adults and infants infected with RSV do not usually need to be hospitalized. But some people with RSV infection, especially older adults and infants younger than six months of age, may need to be hospitalized if they are having trouble breathing or are dehydrated. In the most severe cases, a person may require additional oxygen, or IV fluids (if they can’t eat or drink enough), or intubation (have a breathing tube inserted through the mouth and down to the airway) with mechanical ventilation (a machine to help a person breathe). In most of these cases, hospitalization only lasts a few days.
Some ways to relieve symptoms include drinking fluids, getting plenty of rest and taking pain medicine.
For more information on the flu, COVID-19 or RSV, speak with your local health care provider or visit cdc.gov. For the latest influenza data for our area visit Texas Department of State Health Services
