As fall arrives, bugs — of the highly contagious respiratory virus sort — begin their annual season.
The yearly active periods of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV; flu and the coronavirus, or COVID-19, typically coincide beginning in September. But RSV has jumped the gun and is already present in some parts of Florida, according to a Tampa Bay Times report. And local doctors are reporting increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases and a few RSV and flu cases.
For most people, the viruses cause mild cold-like symptoms. But area doctors urge the public to be vigilant, particularly toward the elderly and babies, and to get RSV, flu and COVID-19 vaccines.
What is RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus?
RSV causes infections of the lungs and respiratory tract. Though typically mild, the virus can cause severe infection in babies 12 months and younger, especially premature infants. It is the leading cause of infant hospitalization in the U.S. — as many as 80,000 children younger than age 5 each year — and as many as 300 die, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control.
The virus can also be treacherous for adults over age 75 and in other older adults “who have underlying health conditions … such as autoimmune diseases or treatments like chemotherapy,” said Dr. Tina Ardon, a family medicine physician at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. As many as 160,000 older adults are hospitalized because of RSV each year and as many as 10,000 die, according to the CDC.
“RSV can affect people very differently. It can present sometimes as a common cold … [or] severe respiratory symptoms including trouble breathing,” she said.
How does RSV compare with flu and COVID-19?
All are highly contagious respiratory viruses with similar symptoms that may include fever, cough and shortness of breath. It can be difficult to tell the difference. In any case, anyone who has difficulty breathing, is dehydrated or has “worsening or progressive symptoms” should seek medical help, said Dr. Shalika Katugaha, an infectious disease specialist at Baptist Health.
Also, someone who has respiratory virus symptoms and underlying risk factors such as lung disease “may need earlier and additional treatment,” Ardon said.
Are outbreaks of RSV, flu and COVID-19 expected in Northeast Florida?
No, but that doesn’t mean they won’t occur. Cases are already cropping up.
“It’s very tricky, difficult to predict,” said Dr. Mobeen Rathore, chief of UF Health Jacksonville’s Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology. “You prepare with the assumption it’s going to be a bad season.”
He said he had seen an “uptick” in coronavirus cases, but just a few RSV and flu cases. Ardon agreed, saying that the Jacksonville area is “currently experiencing high numbers of COVID-19 infections” and has seen flu cases “trickle into the summertime as well.”
Katugaha noted a CDC report that said as of July 30 the number of COVID-19 infections was growing in 35 states based on positive virus tests, emergency department visits and rates of COVID-19-associated hospitalizations. Data was unavailable for Florida, but cases were growing in all of its neighboring states. Flu and RSV activity are currently low, she said.
HCA Florida spokeswoman Rachel Berry said HCA Florida Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville and HCA Florida Orange Park are “seeing an increased amount of respiratory illness in the hospital setting. We are encouraging our patients to continue to seek preventive care and use safe hand hygiene practices.”
How can you avoid getting RSV, flu or COVID-19? When should you get vaccinated?
All three viruses are spread when an infected person releases “respiratory droplets” by coughing or sneezing. The best way to avoid catching the bugs is to get vaccinated against them. The RSV vaccine is available now and the annually updated flu and COVID-19 shots will be on the market soon. Call your doctor or pharmacy for updates.
Vaccines should be obtained as early as possible because they take a few weeks to be effective, Rathore, said.
Also avoid large crowds, urge anyone who feels sick to stay home from work or school and wash your hands frequently. Other preventive measures include physical distancing and wearing masks, according to the CDC.
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“The best thing we can do is prepare for it. We have more capability than ever before to prevent people from becoming severely ill” through vaccinations, treatments and early detection through testing, Katugaha said.
Do the RSV, flu and COVID-19 vaccines work?
The vaccines are safe and effective, Ardon said. Some may not “prevent infections 100% of the time,” she said, but “can help prevent more serious complications, hospitalization and death.” In 2023, most children who died from flu were not vaccinated.
Over the past few years, not as many people have gotten respiratory virus vaccines as the medical community would like. That reluctance stems, as least in part, to “conspiracy theories” and other fears that still abound about the origin and safety of vaccines, Rathore said.
But about 95% of individuals in the U.S. “fortunately” have antibodies protecting them against coronavirus from past infections, immunizations or both, according to Katugaha.
bcravey@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4109
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