United States: CDC records from the US show both influenza A and COVID remain active at high levels across major parts of the nation, while RSV stays very active. Norovirus spreads at high levels throughout numerous states at present.
More about the news
Health departments expect more illness activity this season, with all four viruses called the “Quad-Demic” spreading together just as they did last year. Hospitals are getting overwhelmed by rising health threats, so their leaders recommend staff members wear face masks, according to ABC News.
The Hill: “Viral sicknesses rise amid ‘quad-demic’ in US”
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The number of people that have caught COVID-19, influenza or Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), along with norovirus, has gone up, CDC said in the new Friday update. https://t.co/CGeb4TmbRf
The increase happened before the typical slow beginning of this year’s respiratory virus season.
According to Saskia Popescu, a member of APIC’s Emerging Infectious Diseases Task Force, “Predictions for this respiratory virus season were that we would see peak January 1 and that it would likely mirror previous respiratory virus seasons. We’re obviously seeing it peak a little bit later,” axios.com reported.
What more are the officials stating?
According to the CDC’s monitoring of medical visits, the flu spread rapidly in 33 states, including Washington, D.C., throughout January 2020.
Flu activity is high or very high across 33 states and Washington, D.C., according to the CDC tracking of outpatient visits to health care providers for influenza-like illness.
How bad is the quad-demic where YOU live? Map reveals US virus hotspots
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Texas, Oklahoma, and Mississippi registered the greatest flu activity during the period of January 18, according to Walgreens’ Flu Index’s retail prescription data from their stores throughout the nation.
Flu activity remains “very high” nationwide per New York City CDC reports, while Walgreens shows Oklahoma City and two more cities lead in patient types with the virus.
About HMPV outbreak
During the U.S. HMPV outbreak, people fell ill with coughing, fever, stuffy nose, and breathing problems similar to what happened in China.
The CDC numbers show that US viral activity remains low relative to other national outbreaks, and experts do not recommend worrying about it.
AS reports emerge of a surge in cases of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) in China, concerns about the virus spreading globally have sparked comparisons to the Covid-19 pandemic.@MoHCCZim https://t.co/sI42hOWPy9
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As Popescu, an assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, stated, “It is a seasonal bug that we know how to manage,” axios.com reported.
According to the experts, standard prevention methods remain essential for battling all viruses that are currently spreading.
“All of those mitigation efforts that you can do — washing your hands, covering your cough, cleaning, disinfection, being mindful of ventilation in shared spaces — that’s all going to help,” Popescu added.