Last fall we saw many respiratory virus infections and hospitalizations, including SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and influenza virus (flu). This fall, we want to look at what to expect when it comes to respiratory viruses and some prevention steps you can take.
We’ve been hearing talk of a potential triple threat of viruses or a “tri-demic” this winter – a rise in multiple types of respiratory viruses. We sat down with Dr. Eric Chow, who leads our Communicable Disease and Epidemiology Section, to learn more about what’s happening and what we can do to stay safer.
Flu will likely arrive while COVID-19 is still circulating, and that makes it even more important to get a flu vaccination. We asked Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County, to explain why.
Looking at the level of positive tests for all respiratory diseases in the summer of 2019, we see that causes of the common cold like rhinovirus, parainfluenza, and metapneumovirus held on through the summer alongside a measurable level of continued flu importations.