Los Angeles
CNN
—
Across the country, flooded health care workers struggle to hold their breath as hospitals fill with battling sick patients 3 respiratory diseases – Covid-19, RSV, Influenza.
“We’ve had a real uptick in cases, especially since Thanksgiving,” said Dr. Christopher Longhurst, chief medical officer at the University of California, San Diego Health. So are respiratory viruses.”
The situation is so overwhelming at UC San Diego Health that hospitals need to set up tents in parking lots and use other unconventional spaces to create space to triage patients. was. The corridors of the emergency department are also filled with makeshift beds for patients who have been hospitalized but are awaiting beds.
Explaining that UC San Diego Health has seen as many Covid patients as other respiratory viruses, Longhurst said, “Even during the Covid pandemic, we are using conference room space to care for our patients. “These are truly unprecedented times.”
Last week, hospitals across the country were at their fullest during the pandemic, reaching 80% capacity, an increase of 8% in two weeks. This is also the highest level since Omicron’s surge in January. Hospital capacity improved slightly this week.
RSV appears to have peaked in the US, but both Covid and flu infections are on the rise.
All but seven states have high or very high prices respiratory viral activity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC recommends that people in areas with high Covid-19 community levels wear masks.
Dr. Jeff Smith, executive vice president and chief operating officer of hospital operations at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, said the “extremely rapid rise” in RSV in October and November was “the worst we’ve ever seen. It is likely to be the most common RSV of all.” For the last 10 years.
“And now we’ve seen a rapid decline (of RSV),” says Smith. “This is superimposed on this Covid uptick that happened a little bit slower, a little bit later, and now it’s superimposed on this very rapid flu uptick.”
Still, this virus trio surge isn’t as bad as Covid, which was at the top of the pandemic.
“The strongest factor is probably vaccines, but the other is the cumulative number of infectious diseases now called innate immunity.” University of Southern California.
“Unfortunately, about a third of the country as a whole is still not getting vaccinated, even though there is still evidence of its safety and efficacy,” he said.
There are vaccines for both Covid and the flu, but not for RSV. Testing is required to recommend treatment.
Also, just because a patient is infected with one virus does not mean they are immune from the other two.
“I’ve seen one case where three infections occurred at the same time,” said Jones-Lopez. “These are independent viruses that can infect the same individual. Clearly, the more viruses there are, the more people are infected, and he is at greater risk of one of them leading to a more serious illness.” Become.”
Mask mandates have yet to return, but with the virus surge in New York, Los Angeles, and Seattle, health officials are recommending wearing masks indoors and in crowds.
However Friends and family get together this month.health officials are concerned.
Smith of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center said, “If you’re elderly, have a weakened immune system, or have a particularly contagious disease, it’s a good idea to wear a mask now. “This is the best protection we have for others who are concerned about infection.”
Or, as Longhurst said, “Wear a mask and don’t kiss sick babies during the holiday season.”
