Pediatric doctor advises precautions as RSV and flu run rampant - KSL.com

2 years ago 41

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SALT LAKE CITY — Utahns are excited to get backmost to their Thanksgiving traditions aft 2 years of restrictions nether the coronavirus pandemic. But, conscionable due to the fact that COVID-19 is not arsenic prevalent, does not mean that we don't request to instrumentality precautions.

"The past mates years, COVID was the main happening we were disquieted astir spreading astir the household get-together," said Dr. Per Gesteland, a pediatric hospitalist astatine Primary Children's Hospital and University of Utah Health.

This twelvemonth there's little interest astir COVID-19, helium said, but more interest astir RSV and the flu. Right now, those viruses are inactive sending kids to the hospital.

"We're surviving up here," Gesteland said, referring to Primary Children's Hospital. "We were moving 95-100% capacity, and it's decidedly busy."

We are facing a viral blizzard, helium said.

Gesteland helped make high-risk 20 years ago, which shows america that RSV and the flu are connected the emergence contiguous crossed overmuch of the state. RSV tin beryllium particularly pugnacious connected kids, the elderly, and those with precocious hazard wellness conditions.

"It started successful October and past has truly taken off," the doc said. "The slope for our outbreak past twelvemonth was a small spot gentler. This twelvemonth it's a precise steep incline, which suggests precise accelerated transmission passim our communities."

The flu is conscionable starting to emergence successful Utah, lagging down the surge successful hospitalizations seen successful different states.

"We expect things to conscionable get worse from present connected for a fewer much weeks earlier we commencement to spot a interruption successful our influenza activity," Gesteland said.

Meantime, COVID-19 inactive has much than 120 radical hospitalized statewide.

On average, 1 idiosyncratic is inactive dying each time from complications related to COVID-19.

"COVID is inactive retired there, and it's inactive decidedly causing trouble," the doc said.

Gatherings of steadfast radical should beryllium good this holiday, helium said. If you oregon your kids are sick, enactment location and debar interaction with susceptible people. He advises that we lavation our hands regularly and debar adjacent interaction with anyone coughing oregon sneezing.

"We've made a batch of advancement with getting radical vaccinated against COVID," Gesteland said. "So we're each feeling a small spot better, particularly susceptible populations."