READ THIS NEXT: Dr. Fauci Has New Advice on Staying Safe From COVID at Holiday Gatherings. While there are a number of respiratory viruses that can spread year-round, most of the activity occurs in the fall and winter. But in 2022, illnesses seem to have gotten a head start: The U.S. is now experiencing levels of the flu and RSV that are “higher than usual for this time of year,” according to the CDC. The agency’s latest data indicates that from the flu alone, there have already been an estimated 8.7 million illnesses, 78,000 hospitalizations, and 4,500 deaths this season. “Seasonal influenza activity is high and continues to increase across the country,” the CDC warned. In terms of RSV, the situation is also serious. The overall rate of RSV-associated hospitalizations this season so far is 25 per 100,000 people, according to the CDC. During this same period last year in 2021, the CDC reported that the rate was just 8.5 RSV-associated hospitalizations per 100,000 people. “Surveillance has shown an increase in RSV detections and RSV-associated emergency department visits and hospitalizations in multiple U.S. regions, with some regions nearing seasonal peak levels,” the agency said. But it’s not just the flu and RSV causing concern for the country right now. While many people have put worries about COVID on the back burner over the past few months, the spread of the virus has “increased the last two winters,” according to the CDC. And it doesn’t look like this year is going to be any different. For the week ending in Nov. 29, COVID-related hospitalizations were up. The CDC’s latest data shows that there was a 17.6 percent increase in new hospital admissions compared to the week prior. This is the highest level that COVID hospitalizations have reached in the last three months, according to The Washington Post. “If we are going to see a big [COVID] surge, it’s going to start to ramp up now,” Jeffrey Shaman, PhD, an epidemiologist at Columbia University, told the newspaper. “And it’s going to extend and probably peak in late December and early January.” RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. During a Dec. 5 call with reporters, virus experts discussed the current rise of respiratory threats in the country. Sandra Fryhofer, MD, an internal medicine physician and chairperson of the Board of Trustees for the American Medical Association (AMA), said that the flu season is off to a “rough start” with the other concerning viruses, per U.S. News & World Report. “Flu’s here, it started early, and with COVID and RSV also circulating, it’s a perfect storm for a terrible holiday season,” Fryhofer said. The timing is also troubling, according to CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD. “This rise in cases and hospitalizations is especially worrisome as we move into the winter months when more people are assembling indoors with less ventilation, and as we approach the holiday season when many are gathering with loved ones across multiple generations,” Walensky said during the call. Flu and RSV activity was lower the last two winters as a result of everyday COVID precautions. But since then, most people in the U.S. have abandoned these tools as coronavirus concerns dropped off.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb Now, Walensky is advising all of us to bring at least one safety measure back in order to reduce our chances of catching or spreading COVID, the flu, or RSV during the holiday season. “We also encourage you to wear a high-quality, well-fitting mask to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses,” Walensky said during the Dec. 5 call with reporters, per CNBC. According to the CDC director, people living in areas with high levels of COVID transmission in particular should consider masking up indoors amid the holidays. The agency’s latest data indicates that over 5 percent of communities in the U.S. are still battling high levels of coronavirus spread. Walensky also said that the CDC is considering expanding its metrics for COVID community levels to include these other respiratory viruses, which could play a part in the agency’s masking guidance. “One need not wait on CDC action in order to put a mask on,” she noted. “We would encourage all of those preventive measures—hand-washing, staying home when you’re sick, masking, increased ventilation—during respiratory virus season, but especially in areas of high COVID-19 community levels.”
