After two years of social distancing, some people have become more comfortable gathering with others, especially during the holiday season. But, more gatherings have led to increased cases of COVID, influenza and RSV.
"Right now, we're thankful to not be dealing with a huge surge in COVID, but we certainly are dealing with a surge in influenza, and hopefully the endpoint of a surge in RSV as well," Dr. Ben Weston says. He's an associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin as well as chief health policy advisor for Milwaukee County.
About 100 people are currently hospitalized with COVID at the moment, a stubborn number, Weston notes, that hasn't come down but hasn't risen either. And, he says deaths from COVID have become quite rare.
Some have questioned if migration practices like social distancing and wearing masked have weakened our immune system, but Weston explains our immune system is working all the time — whether you're exposed to RSV or flu, your body is continuously working. "We just haven't been exposed to the same sort of things, so when you're exposed for the first time — your body has to fight it," he says.
While many may be exhausted with taking flu shots or COVID vaccines, Weston still recommends families grab their flu shots and COVID boosters.
He reveals that for the flu in Wisconsin, about 30% of the population is vaccinated and the rate is a little bit lower in Milwaukee County, which is around 27%. That number is cut in about half that when you start looking at more vulnerable populations, particularly populations of color.
"When we look at our most vulnerable group, for severe disease, for death 65 years and older, among that group, only 38% have received their boosters. So, we still have a lot of work to do to get more people their flu shots and more people their COVID boosters," says Weston.
