HOUSTON — Houstonians could face a "tripledemic" this holiday season with the flu, RSV, and COVID-19.
In Texas, the flu is on the rise and area children's hospitals are seeing a surge in RSV cases, a respiratory virus that affects infants and young children. The two viruses came a few weeks earlier than usual.
"This is a real emergency because we're having hospitals that are being overwhelmed with RSV," Dr. Joseph Varon said, the director of COVID-19 and ICU at United Memorial Medical Center.
As people prepare to gather got Thanksgiving and other holidays, Dr. Varon said people should be mindful these viruses are here to stay.
"Try to avoid too much of intimate gatherings if you can, even though the COVID that we're seeing now is much less deadly than the one that we saw before. The fact is that a lot of people are having double or triple diseases," Dr. Varon said.
The Texas Department of State Health Services recommends everyone to get their flu shot ahead of Thanksgiving.
Earlier this month, the CDC issued a health alert stating the combination of viruses could place stress on healthcare systems this fall and winter.
While COVID-19 cases are low now, there are signs that a new wave is coming.
"This has been historically happening every time we have Thanksgiving, we have any kind of long weekend, Christmas. So this is going to happen again, people need to be just careful," Dr. Varon said.
To help slow the spread of these viruses health experts recommend the following:
- Wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds with soap and warm water.
- Cover your face when coughing or sneezing
- Stay home if you don't feel well
If your child is sick, Dr. Varon said you should call your healthcare provider.
"You just need to be aware that they are here. You know, try to avoid situations that can get you in trouble," Dr. Varon said.