Respiratory illnesses, including RSV and influenza, have run rampant this fall. With the holiday season now here, doctors say it’s even more important to take precautions.
They anticipate the relatively high number of cases will likely continue through the holidays, and urge people to be mindful of protecting loved ones when all together.
“Discretion is really the better part of valor at this point,” said Dr. Ulysses Wu, chief epidemiologist at Hartford HealthCare. “If you’re sick, I would try and avoid gatherings.”
From her 95-year-old mother to her two year-old granddaughter, Anne Goldstein’s Thanksgiving get-together spans generations, even if it’s just a small group.
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“There’s quite a spread of different people,” she said.
RSV cases, specifically in children, have flooded hospitals this fall while U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) numbers show flu-related hospital visits are up roughly 4% compared to this time last year.
“Without having been exposed to RSV or flu in the last two years, immunity to these diseases may be somewhat less as well,” Wu said.
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Despite the early rise in cases, Wu said flu numbers in Connecticut are still fairly mild, but people coming from regions with higher infection rates, such as the South or Midwest, should be even more careful during transit.
“If they are traveling from those areas, they might not be symptomatic now but by the time they get here, they may come symptomatic,” Wu said.
Doctors recommend masking and frequent hand-washing for anyone traveling to help keep yourself healthy, and also, help protect those who may be more at risk.
“If you know that you’re going to be around people who are very young or over the age of 65, I think you just have to know, if you are sick, you have to be careful about being around them,” said Dr. Joshua Mosdale of Trinity Health. “You have to wash your hands, you have to keep your distance. Wear a mask for sure if you are sick.”
Wu said people should take precautions around this time every year, but what’s unique about this season is how vicious RSV has been, on top of an earlier-than-normal rise in flu cases.
