TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) - The weather and holidays have worked to boost respiratory illness numbers.
From staying in from the cold to gathering over the holidays, current seasonal conditions put many people close together in close quarters, and respiratory illness numbers are reflecting it.
“This is the percentage that are there for respiratory illnesses and you can see that it has gone up quite a lot in the last three weeks,” said Dr. Lindsay Kohler, who is the manager of the epidemiology division of the Pima County Health Department, as she pointed to the respiratory information page of the health department’s website.
The percentage of emergency room visits from COVID, flu, and RSV is approaching 15 percent in Pima County.
“It’s sort of a tripledemic is what we’re calling it. It’s RSV, it’s flu, and it’s COVID,” Kohler said.
Kohler said that everyone stayed home during the pandemic, which cut down on flu and respiratory illnesses other than COVID.
But now flu and RSV are above the five-season average and could stay there for the next week or two.
“So I would anticipate by looking at the data now that we will be at a high level still, maybe even see a little bit of a bump for a week or so after the kids go back to school,” Kohler said.
“The urgent care is an appropriate place to seek care for respiratory illnesses,” said Aaron Carbutt, a family nurse practitioner with Banner Health at their urgent care at Broadway and Craycroft.
He recommended that those suffering from respiratory symptoms get medical attention within the first day or two because waiting can miss a treatment opportunity.
“In that case, if you pass that window, you can still do things to help yourself feel better but the medication does not become effective,” Carbutt said.
He said that other respiratory illnesses, from the cold to pneumonia, can be diagnosed and treated more effectively the sooner they are caught, which is another reason he recommends visiting urgent care.
“In fact sometimes the ER gets overwhelmed with respiratory illnesses and this is an appropriate destination for anybody who feels like they have a respiratory virus or respiratory infection to be evaluated. before going to the emergency room,” Carbutt said.
“If people are having shortness of breath and it’s an emergency then definitely they should attend or go to the emergency department. However, if you’re just feeling unwell and uncomfortable, you know you can go or wait to get into your PCP or you can go to one of the urgent cares,” Kohler said.
Both Carbutt and Kohler said that most respiratory illnesses like flu and RSV drop in February. COVID has been unpredictable.
COVID, flu and RSV all have vaccines, and while they might not prevent all cases, Carbutt and Kohler said that they can reduce the severity and length of the illnesses.
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