California officials warn of ‘triple whammy’ of viruses

Orange County in Southern California has declared an emergency over rapidly spreading viruses and pediatric hospitalizations.

The OC Health Care Agency this week said it is seeing “very high patient volumes” in their emergency departments and inpatient pediatric units amid nationwide concerns about an early onset of flu and a surge in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases.

RSV is a common respiratory virus that causes mild, cold-like symptoms but can be serious in older adults and infants. There isn’t a vaccine for RSV, but Pfizer is working on one for pregnant women that can pass along protection to their newborns.

“While there isn’t a vaccine against RSV, we want OC residents to know there are many ways to protect children and at-risk individuals. Following preventive measures, including remaining up to date with other vaccinations such as flu and COVID-19, can help reduce the severity of disease and can help reduce the burden on hospitals this fall and winter,” said Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, the county’s health officer.

The emergency declaration allows Orange County to tap into state and federal resources and request help from surrounding counties.

COVID-19 hasn’t surged in the region, but it remains a background problem as scientists worry about the triple threat of RSV, flu and the coronavirus this winter.

Dr. Chinsio-Kwong said people should stay home if they are sick and consider the use of masks, which were commonplace during the height of COVID-19 but are less of a feature of everyday life today.

The San Diego County Health Department issued a rather similar warning about the “triple whammy” of viruses to its residents last week.

“As we see a sharp increase of flu and RSV cases, I am urging San Diegans to do their part to prevent the spread of illnesses,” said Wilma J. Wooten, county public health officer. “While there’s no vaccine for RSV, ample vaccinations are available for the flu and COVID-19. These vaccines take two weeks to become fully effective, so people should get both shots as soon as possible.”

Viruses like the flu and RSV are slamming parts of the U.S. earlier than usual in the cold season. They started to spike after children returned to school following the summer months.

Infection with RSV is common in the first years of life, so those who ducked RSV in recent years due to limited social activity and COVID-19 mitigation might be coming into contact with it now.

“There is a hypothesis that because of very abbreviated or non-existent RSV seasons in 2020 and part of 2021 that the population immunity to moderate-to-severe disease may have waned and that there are children who have been born during the pandemic years who may have no exposures and they are all getting infected now,” said Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

Scientists said unlike COVID-19, which ultimately did not appear to spread that much from contact with surfaces, there is a benefit to frequent hand-washing to prevent RSV.

For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.