Hospitals across the US are busier now than they were during the pandemic – and it’s not because of Covid.
Official data shows that across the country, 80 percent of beds are currently occupied, a level not seen since the peak of the Covid surge in January 2022, when eight out of 10 beds were also full, largely due to the Omicron variant.
This time, however, flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are putting the pressure on hospitals as large chunks of beds are filled by patients with seasonal infections, according to the Department of Health (HHS).
The Covid restrictions have largely put those viruses out of action for more than two years, depriving Americans of vital exposure to germs that boost their immune systems – making the new waves deadlier than usual.
In combination with Covid, the viruses have created a triple pandemic. Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) even recommended that Americans mask themselves earlier this week to prevent the spread of non-Covid diseases.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 32,733 confirmed cases of the flu in the week ended Nov. 26, a new record for this virus season.
Earlier this week, CDC officials said there had been 9 million confirmed cases of the flu, 7,800 hospitalizations and 4,500 deaths from the annual virus.
This flu season is already the worst since the swine flu pandemic of 2009.
The CDC said there were 32,733 infections last week, down from just 8,911 the week before.
Hospitals concentrated primarily along the east and west coasts of the US are suffering the most, HHS reports.
The CDC is urging people to wear masks over Christmas to stop the spread of FLU and RSV
America’s top public health officials are now recommending masking to prevent the spread of RSV and the flu this winter – not just Covid.
dr Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said during a Monday briefing, “We also encourage you to wear a quality, well-fitting mask to help prevent the spread of respiratory disease” if it prevention is about taking action against influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
It comes as almost every state in America is recording “very high” flu levels as a lockdown-induced resurgence of respiratory viruses hits the US this fall. The CDC is reporting 9 million flu infections and 4,500 deaths from the virus this flu season — with the worst expected in the coming weeks. The typical flu season lasts from October to May each year.
dr Sandra Fryhofer, a trustee for the American Medical Association, said during a CDC briefing Monday, “It’s a perfect storm for a terrible holiday season.”
Experts have blamed lockdowns, mask requirements and social distancing orders during the Covid pandemic for the deadly flu outbreak, rendering the US population “immune-naïve” as it has been deprived of vital exposure to healthy germs.
Rhode Island, America’s smallest state with just 10 hospitals, has a 93 percent occupancy rate.
Seven other states have overall hospital occupancy rates above 85 percent: Washington (89 percent of hospital beds occupied), New Hampshire (88 percent), Massachusetts (88 percent), Minnesota (87 percent), Georgia (87 percent), Montana (87 percent) and West Virginia (86 percent).
Wyoming (46 percent) is the only state with more than half of hospital beds available.
Influenza and RSV are most dangerous for children and the elderly.
On Monday, CDC director Rochelle Walensky said children are causing 14 flu deaths in the US so far, with the majority of the elderly suffering the most.
It’s unclear how many have died from RSV this season, but the CDC reports that 300 to 500 children die from the virus each year.
Confirmed case numbers for annual respiratory viruses are usually severely undercounted.
The vast majority of people who get sick treat their symptoms at home without seeing a doctor. This means that they are never included in official lists.
The CDC reports that one in four flu tests and hospitals and health centers across America come back positive, indicating millions of cases are going under the radar.
In its most recent data update over the weekend, the CDC listed 44 states with “very high” influenza transmission.
The CDC determines each state’s classification by combining infection counts, positive test rates, and flu-related hospitalizations.
Among the 44 worst-hit states, 11 have the highest possible influenza circulation rate, standing out from the rest.
The 11 US states include: California, Colorado, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington.
A total of 44 U.S. states have “very high” flu transmission rates, according to the CDC, with 11 of those states having the highest rating (purple).
There is hope that RSV – in contrast to the spreading flu – is already running out of breath.
The US recorded 16,691 new cases in the week ended November 19, down from the 18,991 reported a week earlier.
The test positivity also decreases. In the week ended November 26, only 12.5 percent of PCR tests for RSV were positive.
A week earlier, the share was 16.5 percent, also down from the peak of 19.1 percent recorded in the week ended November 12.
dr Walensky added on Monday that parts of the country were either seeing a decline in RSV or starting to ease after a difficult start to the season.
Covid itself remains a threat – albeit not as much as the previous two winters.
The US is recording 59,924 cases daily. While that’s a 37 percent increase over the past two weeks, it’s dwarfed by the more than 100,000 daily infections Americans were suffering around this time last year.
Covid deaths have also stabilized, with America recording 250 a day.
The graphic shows: Common (green tick), occasional (orange circle) and never (red cross) symptoms of cold, hay fever and Covid