As families and friends begin to gather for the upcoming holiday season, a convergence of another sort appears to be on the horizon – a “tripledemic” of respiratory illnesses. Although a weary indifference toward protective measures has washed over many people, the triple threat posed by respiratory syncytial virus, influenza and COVID-19 could be a major cause of concern heading into the holidays.
“We are seeing lots of RSV and an increasing number of COVID cases in our community,” said San Juan Basin Public Health spokeswoman Megan Graham. “We have a number of outbreaks of respiratory viruses including RSV, flu and COVID. These are primarily in early child care centers and preschools.”
Graham said case numbers for respiratory illnesses have been unusually high for this time of year.
“Fall going into winter is when we typically see an increase in respiratory viruses,” Graham said. “But this year is proving to be ... an earlier onset of high numbers of cases than we've seen in many, many years, if ever.”
Ali Alexander, the clinical manager of Durango and Aztec Urgent Care, said she has observed a rise in all sorts of viruses, not just respiratory viruses, in the clinic.
While no one has been hospitalized yet with the flu in La Plata or Archuleta counties, statewide hospitalization rates have eclipsed those of recent years. One hundred and sixty-four people have already landed in the hospital in Colorado, while just 34 people were hospitalized during the entire 2020-21 flu season. Although protective measures to avoid COVID-19 likely kept flu infection rates low that year, this year’s numbers are also significantly higher than they were at this time in both 2018 and 2019, before the pandemic.
Countywide, there have been seven confirmed cases of influenza as of Nov. 12.
“We are seeing actually more influenza this time of year than we normally do, and a lot of RSV, too,” Alexander said. “I’d say it’s kind of a mixed bag. It’s not all COVID, it’s not like all flu, it’s not all RSV but we’ve definitely seen just a general rise and all three.”
Alexander said the state’s unusually high influenza numbers even compared to 2018 could still be attributed to the public health measures taken over the last three years.
“The bugs are catching up,” Alexander said.
The COVID-19 seven-day average of positive cases is slowly on the rise, as well, in both the state and La Plata County. The county’s seven-day average was 11.86 cases per day as of Nov. 13.
RSV is also on the rise – there have been reported cases in 10 different children’s facilities. Graham said that, like the flu, there have been very low levels of RSV in the district in recent years. This could be playing a role in the surge currently underway as immunity within the population is likely reduced. The virus causes similar symptoms to both COVID-19 and influenza, including coughing, runny nose and a fever.
Despite their similarities, each virus can inflict unique symptoms. According to the Cleveland Clinic, wheezing can be a unique indicator of RSV; a very high fever can indicate influenza; the loss of taste and smell is unique to COVID-19, although this symptom has been less common in those infected by the Omicron variant.
Graham said at-home testing for COVID-19 is the best first step in trying to diagnose one of these three viruses. However, a negative COVID-19 test does not necessarily indicate that someone is healthy. While testing for RSV is less common, Graham said testing for the flu is a good next step because treatments for severe COVID-19 and severe flu cases differ and the test results are helpful in tracking the spread of illness.
The “tripledemic” could lead to a surge in hospitalizations that would place a strain on the local health care infrastructure. A spokeswoman for Mercy Hospital and Centura Health did not respond to a request for comment Thursday morning.
“That’s certainly something that we are all keeping a close eye on both here locally and at the state level,” Graham said. “... I’m hopeful that through some of these measures we can bring that transmission down a little bit and avoid a strain on our health care system, but that is certainly something we want to avoid.”
Anyone feeling symptoms of these three viruses should not go to work or send their kids to school, should wear a mask in public spaces, and continue to practice the standard health protocols that have become the norm over the last three years. Effective vaccines against both COVID-19 and the flu are also widely available and recommended by public health officials.
A recent study released by CU Boulder found that “when people simply take a moment to reflect on the consequences of their behavior they tend to choose options that impose fewer risks on other people.” Such behavior may include wearing masks, avoiding public spaces when feeling sick, or perhaps skipping a holiday event where individuals from vulnerable demographics, primarily the very young and the elderly, are present.
The state’s COVID-19 vaccine clinic will be open at the La Plata County Fairgrounds until Dec. 2. To find specific hours and make an appointment, visit SJBPH’s website.
rschafir@durangoherald.com
