Potential Tripledemic May Occur if COVID, Flu, RSV Assemble

With fewer COVID protections in place, pulmonary viruses are on the rise. In addition, healthcare facilities may be unable to handle simultaneous RSV, flu, plus COVID spikes. Despite flu and RSV numbers increasing sooner and quicker than expected, researchers are concerned that the two bronchial viruses will peak together COVID this season, resulting in a "tripledemic."

Hospitalizations of newborns, the elderly, as well as the immunocompromised who become ill with any of these three viruses, are causing alarm among specialists, as per Wall Street Journal. There is presently no RSV vaccine accessible; however, physicians advocate having a COVID and flu vaccination, as well as disguising or staying at home while sick.

Rapidly increasing flu infections, increases in the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and the strong potential of another winter COVID spike might place the United States at the epicenter of three converging outbreaks or a "tripledemic" as humans approach the colder months.

Three Flus in One Season

It's always troubling when several respiratory viruses, such as RSV, influenza, and COVID, emerge at the same time, according to White House COVID-19 Response Administrator Ashish Jha, MD, MPH, in a conversation with CBS News 1. If all 3 of them appear at the same time and individuals are not immunized, we might see a significant increase in hospitalizations.

Although most occurrences of such three viruses are minor, their combination may be especially concerning for newborns and seniors, as well as impaired persons and those who have not been vaccinated-and it may put an additional burden on the US health service. Though respiratory viruses typically peak in the colder months, flu and RSV incidence appear to be increasing sooner in the year and or at a different period than normal.

The flu season normally peaks around December and February, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and this was also true for RSV before the pandemic. However, flu rates are now significantly greater this year than in any previous season since 2017.

Possible tripledemic can occur this coming winter season.

(Photo : HERNANDEZ & SOROKINA / STOCKSY)
Physicians are reporting high numbers of respiratory illnesses such as RSV and the flu earlier than the typical winter peak.

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Possible Peak of the Flus

Experts believe that their commitment to COVID procedures protected us not only from the coronavirus. Masks, social isolation, and other precautions kept other respiratory infections at bay and, throughout the case of RSV, interrupted seasonal rhythms.

The immune cycles are all messed up, as per Peter Chin-Hong, M.D., professor of medicine and infectious disease expert at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine. Since the restrictions are lifted, more individuals are assembling. While it's not quite the season, it's becoming colder. However, RSV is trying to take advantage.

Adults, teenagers, and older children are also likely to have diminishing or no antibodies to RSV as a result of pandemic measures, and they can spread the virus to younger children and newborns, as per Dr. Chin-Hong. What seems to them as a slight cold might be far more severe for newborns and the elderly. If flu, COVID, and RSV all peak at the same time, medical facilities and healthcare systems will be put under even more strain. And overstressed hospital resources frequently result in worse patient care.

Preventive Measures During the Winter

Consequently, it is impossible to forecast whenever each one of these respiratory pathogens will peak, added by Dr. Chin-Hong. Patients can undergo flu and COVID medications in hospitals if their symptoms become severe, but RSV therapy in health facilities is just palliative. Due to various gaps in RSV prevention and treatment, several pandemic-era transmission preventative measures may be effective when RSV, flu, and COVID case counts rise.

And even though we have the fewest methods to defend against, RSV is far less highly infectious than COVID, as Dr. Chin-Hong continued.

However, the possibility of a terrible autumn and cold weather respiratory virus outbreak is quite real. It may just mean that we need to be a little more cautious about getting immunizations, staying home when we're ill, and maybe masking to keep hospitalizations from skyrocketing. It's also not too late to acquire the immunizations that are accessible, concluded Dr. Chin-Hong in an interview with Health.