The three familiar winter viruses are once again picking up steam as we continue through the holiday season. Infection rates for COVID-19, flu, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are all steady or rising. In the latest CDC report, hospitalizations are elevated but are unchanged from the previous week. Last Fall/Winter, an unusually early surge of RSV overwhelmed many hospitals and sickened an extremely high number of children. One silver lining is that hospitalization rates are not as high as the same point last year. Nevertheless, these viruses remain dangerous and health officials urge Americans to take advantage of the new preventative medicines available. The health agency sent an advisory to healthcare providers emphasizing the importance of vaccinating more people in order to reduce hospitalizations.
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