MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Hospitalizations associated to influenza and the coronavirus are on the rise however circumstances of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are starting to fall.

Monongalia County Health Officer Dr. Lee Smith mentioned he fears growing flu and coronavirus circumstances will fill any void and proceed pushing well being care staff for the following few weeks.

“That’s a little bit of good news, but that’s up against the backdrop that influenza cases continue to increase and we won’t see the peak until late January,” Smith mentioned not too long ago on WAJR’s “Talk of the Town.”

Smith mentioned handwashing, commonsense and pandemic tips are the perfect strains of protection, however he added, getting vaccinated is advisable as a preventative measure.

“If you have symptoms, practice social distancing; you can use a mask if you’re out in public or near people,” Smith mentioned. “Suspend your in-person work or school if you’re having symptoms.”

As for the explanation for the rise in numbers, Smith mentioned two years of restricted social engagement have lowered the extent of immune response for a lot of. The lack of immunity within the inhabitants has offered an unprecedented alternative for the triple risk of viruses.
 
“That has left the human population without any baseline immunity. So it’s a very fertile ground for influenza, RSV, and other respiratory viruses to get a foothold this year,” Smith mentioned.

Primary care suppliers, medical clinics, or tele-health choices are the perfect methods for folks to diagnose the sickness they’ve and get the correct remedy. Early affirmation of the kind of sickness will establish the best prescription for a speedy restoration. According to Dr. Smith, utilizing all of the choices out there will assist well being care staff higher handle the stream of sufferers.

“We don’t like to see hospitals with multi-hour waits to be seen,” Smith mentioned. “It has a significant negative impact on people who have other issues such as trauma, heart disease, or stroke.”

Nationwide, the CDC mentioned from October 20, 2022, via December 17, 2022, there have been as much as 37 million circumstances of the flu identified, which resulted in almost 400,000 hospitalizations.

The major flu pressure in West Virginia is Influenza A H1N1.

“We want people to not lose their will and continue to keep up the good fight because we need a community to help fight this fight,” Smith mentioned.