United States: As the experts state, the usual suspects that people get caught devoting time to each year are some like COVID, flu, and RSV this time.
Moreover, doctors’ word of advice this winter is that several other diseases might actually be to blame for your sickness as well.
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According to Dr. David Weber with UNC Hospitals, “We’ve seen an enormous number of other viral diseases, just enteroviruses, rhinoviruses, and others that have been going on for several weeks and more than flu and RSV,” wral.com reported.
Flu and RSV are sustaining California’s sniffly season, COVID yet to surge this winter https://t.co/B0zMjS6tig
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According to Weber, mycoplasma pneumonia at both the sharing UNC Hospitals has exhibited above-average incidences and currently registers about 50 positive cases per week.
About the disease
Mycoplasma pneumonia, atypical pneumonia, or walking pneumonia have been on the rise across all states for the past few months, especially among children.
As Weber noted, “It does peak a little bit in the winter, but it also has peaks and valleys that last over several years, and we seem to be in a peak,”
“It does peak a little bit in the winter, but it also has peaks and valleys that last over several years, and we seem to be in a peak,” noted Weber.
Flu and RSV have gradually been rising in North Carolina over the next few weeks.
The dashboard also reveals that across the state, respiratory symptoms were responsible for approximately 9 percent of triage to emergency departments and 1,167 hospitalizations till 14th December.
Weeks later, Weber says, the current number must have gone much higher, particularly after large social events.
“We usually see a boost of these diseases after Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s, people traveling, in large groups, religious ceremonies, and we have seen that this year,” as Weber noted.
Furthermore, “All the respiratory viruses, specifically RSV, COVID, and influenza, survive better at colder temperatures and low humidity. Plus, we are indoors more, and we heat our homes, and that dries out our mucus membranes, so we’re more susceptible,” he added.
Most transmissible diseases also present similar symptoms such as cough and sneezing, sore throat, fever and runny or congested nose, and headache.
Winter surge: NYC faces rising flu and COVID cases, slight RSV dip https://t.co/63VH14YmoP via @gothamist
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Weber stated that early vaccination and testing are okay for avoiding severe infection.
As Weber noted, “For our outpatients, we do a 4-Plex test that tests for COVID, RSV, and the two types of influenza A and B,”
“We do have therapy for influenza, but it has to be started within two days of the first symptoms,” he continued.
“For COVID, we also have oral therapies that can be given as outpatients. Those have to be started within five days of onset of symptoms, so if you’re in that older group or have underlying diseases, you don’t want to wait with the idea of ‘Well, let me wait if I get sicker over the next several days,” he continued, wral.com reported.
At-home antigen tests for COVID-19 can also give more of an indication of what is causing your symptoms, the doctor said.
According to Weber, bacterial diseases can be treated later at any time, while viral diseases require quick intervention with medications.
People with flu-like illness are advised to abstain from going to work and schooling for at least 24 hours since there are signs of improvement and the absence of fever without medication.
Unfortunately, as a preventative measure after being infected with COVID, Weber also recommended wearing a mask for five days.