It is this time of year, when families and friends come together to share their joy in the holidays and some circulating pathogens.
Peter Chin -Hong, specialist in infectious diseases at UC San Francisco, said people should be looking for “big oven”: three respiratory viruses currently moving through the United States – flu, COVI -19 and RSV – and a stomach virus – Norovirus.
According to Wastewaterscan – a surveillance network for infectious diseases led by Stanford researchers and Emory universities, with a laboratory test partner, Verily, the organization of the life sciences of Alphabet Inc. – These four viruses are hot across the country.
In the case of Covid-19, half of the United States east of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico-is “high” tendency, while Western states are still generally low, with a few hot spots in large cities such as San Francisco, Seattle, Salt Lake and Boisse, According to wastewater.
But that is likely to change while vacation trips move these viruses in what the chin called “the great vacation equalizer”.
It is the flu, however, which attracts the attention of most doctors and researchers at the moment, he said.
While the federal The prospects for centers for disease control and prevention for the severity of the impact of the flu this season have been weak, Chin-Hong said he saw disturbing signs from typical United States bell towers: the United Kingdom and South America.
In the United Kingdom, There were almost four times the number of influenza cases In early December that they were at the same time last year. A similar trend occurred during the winter season in the South American nations of Chile, Ecuador and Uruguay, Where hospitalizations were higher than during the 2023 flu season. Elsewhere on the south of the continent, seasonal flu rates were quite typical.
Chin-Hong suspects that CDC's prospects are based on the assumption that people have “postponement immunity” from last year, and he said that vaccinations help.
But until the flu season is in full swing, it is difficult to know exactly what it looks like and if the vaccines have the circulating strains fully covered.
Chin-Hong said there are two predominant strains of the circulating virus: H1N1 and H3N2, the latter virus associated with a more serious illness, which can cause overvoltages of hospitalizations abroad. But he said that this year's vaccine should cover it.
“It is never too late” to be vaccinated, he said, noting that the flu season in the United States is just beginning.
In addition, with the disturbing threat of the H5N1 bird flu which simmer in the background, it is to be feared that it will mix with a human seasonal flu. The vaccination and the maintenance of the seasonal flu at a distance, he said, will decrease the chances of such occurrence.
Researchers and health officials say that there is no evidence that H5N1 can be transmitted between people. But to stay safe as the virus moves through the country's dairy herds and commercial poultry operations, people should avoid raw milk, raw eggs and undercite meat. Pasteurization and appropriate cooking techniques inactive the virus.
But it is not only the flu that threatens to alleviate the good news of the nation.
COVID-19, RSV and NOROVIRUS are also widespread.
COVID-19 recently started to present itself at high levels in municipal wastewater, but Chin-Hong said that this does not necessarily mean that we will see an increase in hospitalizations. Indeed, While the number of cocovio cases runs, The CDC predicts there will be fewer cases In the United States this year that in 2023.
“Some people think that the reason why people do not get it as much this year is that we have obtained it so recently, in particular in California, and that transportation of transport protects us, at least for the moment,” said Chin-Hong. “The other hypothesis is that we just had enough cycles in the population, so maybe it's a bit low this year.”
But, he said, Covid has proven an agile and adaptable virus, continuously generating recombinant variants, if “coupled with low vaccination rates, it is always the fear of Covid, which she will back down”.
The best things that can be done to avoid the three respiratory viruses – the flu, the cochable and the RSV – is to follow “the three V: vaccinating, ventilating and washing your hands very often,” he said. If you need to be inside or close to others, masks make a difference. But try to mix outside or in well -ventilated areas.
As for the Norovirus, which causes gastrointestinal distress and is generally propagated by articles handled by several people – such as plane trays, running hands and buffet spoons – washing your hands is the key. In addition, keeping your hands away from your face is critical; It is the main way of infection.
Chin-Hong said norovirus is apparently everywhere these days.
“Anecdotically, many colleagues have come out with it,” he said.
In addition, there is rhinovirus (colds), darling and walking pneumonia, he said.
And of course, he said, if you don't feel good, stay at home. Nothing ends a virus or a contagious bacteria is its tracks as being kept isolated – even if it means missing the celebrations of the holidays.
