COVID and flu cases are on the rise as vaccination rates remain low, CDC warns – WHYY

ODonnell said that before the pandemic, flu cases would typically increase in December and peak in January.

Main Line Health has also seen a lot more patients who are sick with flu, said Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Stallkamp.

He added that the flu usually kills tens of thousands of people in the U.S. per year, so it is not a disease to be taken lightly.

If youve ever had flu, it is like getting hit by a truck, he said. You feel horrible. It is not like your typical nose cold where youre blowing your nose for a couple days and maybe Ill just be better the next day. You can be out for days.

Fortunately, so far, the situation is not as bad as it was last winter, when there were record numbers of COVID-19, RSV or respiratory syncytial virus, and flu patients at the same time, said Dr. Ericka Hayes, senior medical director of infection, prevention, and control at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia.

COVID-19 remains an unpredictable wild card, she said. It may do nothing or we may see a surge in January not unlike what we saw in January of 22 with the omicron surge. So I think the thing that worries and concerns me the most is the fact that we cant know.

Hayes said the number of RSV cases at CHOP peaked in late November, and is starting to decrease. While the CDC alerted health care providers about low vaccination rates for COVID-19, flu, and RSV, she noted that there was also an issue with the supply of RSV vaccines earlier this year.

So far, the biggest concern is that the number of flu and COVID-19 patients in hospitals could peak at around the same time and strain capacity, said Dr. Cheryl Bettigole, Philadelphias health commissioner.

The newer variants that are circulating dont appear to be worse. They dont appear to be more likely to put people in the hospital, she said. But you get enough virus circulating, youre going to see large enough numbers that hospitalization rates could go up. And staffing for hospitals can be a challenge as these viruses circulate because the hospital personnel cant work if they themselves are sick.

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COVID and flu cases are on the rise as vaccination rates remain low, CDC warns - WHYY