Health Experts Warn of ‘Three Headed Monster’ Respiratory Illnesses Ahead of Holiday Travel

(KNSI) – A three-headed monster of influenza, respiratory syncytial virus and COVID-19 is hitting the U.S. hard right now.

The Minnesota Department of Health held a press conference Tuesday to provide more details on the scope of viruses here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. State Epidemiologist and Medical Director Ruth Lynfield says RSV has been the worst compared to historical trends.

“In a typical year, while we are having a peak in RSV, the peak is around 60 to 70 hospitalizations over that week. We were, at our peak, close to 200 over the course of a week and we’re now at about 120.”

There is no vaccine for RSV. It is equivalent to the common cold for most people but can be deadly for infants and the elderly. RSV is the leading cause of bronchitis and pneumonia for those under one year old. Lynfield says 900 infants have been hospitalized statewide due to the disease since September.

The Minnesota Department of Health says there have been almost 900 outbreaks of flu-like illness in schools since September. The virus is also hitting the elderly hard, with 40 outbreaks in nursing homes.

“Unfortunately, we are already experiencing deaths in Minnesotans due to influenza this season with 41 reported today.”

At least 47 states – including Minnesota – are experiencing high or very high respiratory virus activity.

Parent Kelly Trout says, “we had the flu last weekend, but before that, we had been sick on and off – mostly on – for about two months.”

Drug stores across the U.S. are reporting shortages of over-the-counter medicine. Trout says finding over the counter meds is becoming increasingly difficult, and she’s not sure what to do if illness hits their house again because “we really don’t have a plan, but probably after one more illness I’ll be scouring the internet trying to find a stockpile.”

Doctors warn not to use adult cold medications to treat symptoms in anyone under 12 and always follow label directions.

***News Director Jennifer Lewerenz contributed to this story

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