A quadruple-whammy of viruses are hitting the US as millions go back to work after the holidays, data shows.
Official figures reveal that infections cause by flu, Covid, RSV (a respiratory illness that causes the cold) and norovirus (sometimes called the stomach flu) all started to surge over the Christmas period, when families gathered to celebrate.
And experts say figures will only continue to rise over the coming weeks as the US heads into the peak period of its annual flu season.
Data shows that norovirus cases are at their highest level for this time of year since 2012, while RSV hospitalizations are up nearly 40 percent in two weeks.
An estimated 3.1 million people have been sickened by the flu so far this season, while 37,000 have been hospitalized and 1,500 have died. And the number of states with ‘very high’ levels of the disease has quadrupled in a week to eight.
There have also been an estimated 2.5 to 4.4 million Covid cases between October 1 and December 7, estimates suggest, including 72,000 to 120,000 hospitalizations and 8,200 to 13,000 deaths.
The surge in infections is prompting a return of mask mandates in some states, with a hospital system in Wisconsin this week becoming the latest to reinstate them.
Hospitals in parts of California, Illinois, Indiana and New Jersey have also brought back the rules for staff and visitors. Officials in New York City are urging people to consider wearing a face mask on public transport.
Experts say the surge in winter infections is being driven by increased mixing over the holiday period, and also by travel on public transport and airplanes.
The issue is compounded by the fact that people’s immune systems were weakened during Covid lockdowns and work-from-home rules, leaving some at greater risk of more severe illness.
Dr Joe Bresee, an infectious diseases expert who spent two decades at the CDC, told DailyMail.com: ‘What we are seeing now is an increasing amount of respiratory disease and norovirus that is really all over the US.
‘It is what we see most years and we will probably see increasing amounts over the next few weeks as well.’
The expert, who also works for The Task Force for Global Health, added: ‘For each of these four viruses, we will see increases through January and then they will peak sometime in January or early February. But the peaks will differ slightly depending on where you live in the US.’
Dr Todd Rice, a professor of medicine in Tennessee, told a local provider: ‘Being indoors and around a lot of people can lead to more viral spread.
‘[Cases] will probably stay high for another week or two.’
The eight states with very high levels of flu are: Louisiana, Washington, Tennessee, Alabama, California, Idaho, New Mexico and Mississippi.
Data also shows that for RSV, an estimated 22,000 to 45,000 people have been hospitalized with the disease since October, while 980 to 2,300 have died.
Its hospitalization rate was up nearly 40 percent to 1.8 per 100,000 in the week to December 7, the latest available — compared to 1.3 in the week to November 23.
