Respiratory virus activity is high or increasing in most parts of the US and it still hasn’t peaked

Respiratory virus season is well underway in the United States, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that the peak is still to come. Low vaccination rates leave many people at risk for severe disease and health care systems vulnerable to increased strain.

Respiratory virus season is well underway in the United States, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that the peak is still to come. Low vaccination rates leave many people at risk for severe disease and health care systems vulnerable to increased strain. “COVID-19 hospitalizations are rising quickly. Since the summer, public health officials have been tracking a rise in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), which is caused by COVID-19. Influenza activity is growing in most parts of the country. RSV activity remains high in many areas,” the CDC wrote in an update on its website Thursday. “In some parts of the country, hospital beds for children are already nearly as full as they were this time last year. If these trends continue, the situation at the end of this month could again strain emergency departments and hospitals. Strain on the healthcare system could mean that patients with other serious health conditions may face delays in receiving care.” During the week ending November 25, there were more than 8 hospitalizations related to respiratory viruses for every 100,000 people in the US, according to CDC data — a 52% increase over the past month. Covid-19 still accounts for most of those hospitalizations, but hospitalizations for flu and RSV are rising faster. Overall, there have been about half as many respiratory virus hospitalizations this season compared with a similar time last year. But the latest forecast from the CDC suggests that this season will result in a similar number of hospitalizations as last season — with rates well above those from pre-pandemic seasons. “Vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones against serious outcomes of these viral respiratory illnesses,” the CDC says, and “high immunization uptake could reduce the number of hospitalizations substantially.”