RSV Cases May Have Peaked, but Flu and Covid Are on the Rise – The New York Times
The website discusses the surge in respiratory and stomach-related illnesses in New Jersey. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have classified the state as high for respiratory diseases, with the New York City metropolitan area labeled as very high. Rates of flu, RSV, COVID, and norovirus have risen significantly in recent weeks, deviating from the normal seasonal pattern observed before the COVID-19 pandemic. Emergency room visits have increased, but most hospitals are operating at normal capacity.
Norovirus, commonly known as the stomach virus, has seen a national uptick, following its seasonal pattern. Flu rates are highest in densely populated areas like Bergen, Essex, and Hudson counties. COVID variants, mainly the JN.1 subvariant of omicron, account for 57% of cases in the past two weeks. While COVID hospitalizations doubled since late November, the numbers are lower than the same period last year. Only 33 COVID patients were on ventilators, and 114 were in intensive care as of Tuesday, showing a mixed trend in severity compared to the previous year. The analysis emphasizes the uncertainty of the ongoing season’s impact, cautioning against premature predictions due to the extended timeline of respiratory illness seasons.
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