GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - Respiratory viruses are on the rise across the country, and the message from doctors is familiar: take preventive measures, like wearing masks and getting vaccinated.
This is a triple threat: Cases of COVID, flu and RSV are all rising right now.
The week before Christmas, more than 29,000 people were hospitalized with COVID-19. Another 15,000 were admitted for flu, and thousands more with RSV. Across the country, COVID hospitalizations jumped 17% in one week.
Late last month, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services confirmed the first pediatric death from a respiratory illness this season, specifically RSV.
Officials say wastewater analysis shows more COVID-19 in the environment than this time last year.
RSV is slowing in some parts of the country but is still showing elevated hospitalization rates.
The CDC says one reason respiratory illnesses are up might be because fewer people are getting vaccinated. Health officials expect to see numbers rise even higher this month following Christmas and New Year’s celebrations.
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