Posted on Dec 7, 2023
Kansas City hospitals say flu and RSV cases are getting worse, even though they have vaccines
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Kansas City hospitals are preparing for an influx of respiratory illnesses this winter, as influenza and RSV case numbers are starting to rise, and COVID-19 lingers.
Cases of three respiratory illnesses are starting to creep up in Kansas City and hospitals are wary of another “tripledemic” as the weather gets colder and people travel for the holidays.
Last year, following an unusually early surge in Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV, doctors were left to grapple with the rising case numbers and spikes of COVID-19 and influenza at the same time. The illnesses left hospital emergency rooms bogged down, with few beds available to patients, and led to an increased workload for staff.
Todd Shaffer, family physician and professor of medicine at University Health Truman Medical Center, said pandemic protocols like masking and social distancing may played a role. They may have delayed RSV and flu season, so when people returned to a more normal schedule last year, it caused a sharp and earlier-than-expected increase.
This year, RSV and influenza case numbers are trending back toward previous baselines, and COVID-19 numbers have held relatively steady. But Shaffer said this is also the time of year when those numbers start to creep up.
Cases of three respiratory illnesses are starting to creep up in Kansas City and hospitals are wary of another “tripledemic” as the weather gets colder and people travel for the holidays.
Last year, following an unusually early surge in Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV, doctors were left to grapple with the rising case numbers and spikes of COVID-19 and influenza at the same time. The illnesses left hospital emergency rooms bogged down, with few beds available to patients, and led to an increased workload for staff.
Todd Shaffer, family physician and professor of medicine at University Health Truman Medical Center, said pandemic protocols like masking and social distancing may played a role. They may have delayed RSV and flu season, so when people returned to a more normal schedule last year, it caused a sharp and earlier-than-expected increase.
This year, RSV and influenza case numbers are trending back toward previous baselines, and COVID-19 numbers have held relatively steady. But Shaffer said this is also the time of year when those numbers start to creep up.
Kansas City hospitals say flu and RSV cases are getting worse, even though they have vaccines
Posted from kcur.org
Medical
Health
Kansas City
Posted 5 mo ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."“The federal bodies that recommend this immunization along with the American Academy of Pediatrics have kind of created guidelines around how to prioritize highest risk infants during this time of the shortage,” said Angela Myers, division director of Infectious Diseases at Children's Mercy Kansas City. “We are following those guidelines to try to target the infants that are at highest risk of having severe RSV infection.”
Myers doesn’t expect a sufficient supply of this vaccine during the 2023-24 respiratory illness season, but is optimistic there will be enough next year. There is also an RSV vaccine that's available for pregnant people between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy, which can help prevent severe cases, and one for adults over 60 years old.
Sarah Boyd, an infectious disease physician at Saint Luke's Health System, urged those planning to travel or gather with friends and family this winter to take appropriate precautions.
“If they are sick, think about staying home, and reaching out to their medical provider to get tested, so that potentially if they are a candidate for treatment with antivirals for influenza or COVID,” she said. “And in general, good hand washing, covering coughs, and all of those things can go a long way to prevent spread within the community.”
..."“The federal bodies that recommend this immunization along with the American Academy of Pediatrics have kind of created guidelines around how to prioritize highest risk infants during this time of the shortage,” said Angela Myers, division director of Infectious Diseases at Children's Mercy Kansas City. “We are following those guidelines to try to target the infants that are at highest risk of having severe RSV infection.”
Myers doesn’t expect a sufficient supply of this vaccine during the 2023-24 respiratory illness season, but is optimistic there will be enough next year. There is also an RSV vaccine that's available for pregnant people between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy, which can help prevent severe cases, and one for adults over 60 years old.
Sarah Boyd, an infectious disease physician at Saint Luke's Health System, urged those planning to travel or gather with friends and family this winter to take appropriate precautions.
“If they are sick, think about staying home, and reaching out to their medical provider to get tested, so that potentially if they are a candidate for treatment with antivirals for influenza or COVID,” she said. “And in general, good hand washing, covering coughs, and all of those things can go a long way to prevent spread within the community.”
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