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Flu, COVID And More: What Doctors Expect For This Year’s Sick Season
HuffPost • • health
Key Points:
- Recent flu seasons have been the worst in over 20 years, with high illness, hospitalization, and death rates, while flu vaccination rates, especially in children, have declined since the pandemic.
- Flu season typically begins in September or October and peaks around December or January, with flu A infections early in the season and flu B later; this year’s southern hemisphere flu season was typical, suggesting a potentially average flu season ahead.
- Respiratory viruses such as COVID-19, RSV, and colds also surge in fall and winter due to increased indoor gatherings and reduced ventilation, with COVID-19 cases expected to rise but not disappear in summer months.
- RSV activity is currently low but expected to increase through winter; vaccines for RSV are effective and available for high-risk groups, including infants, older adults, and pregnant people.
- Preventive measures include vaccination against flu, COVID-19, and RSV, as well as practices like masking, hand hygiene, avoiding crowded indoor spaces, and testing for flu and COVID-19 if symptoms appear to access antiviral treatments.
