Follow-Up: ‘Tripledemic’ Worries May Be Well-Founded, and Realized Sooner Than Later

Just last week, we told you that unusually high cases of respiratory syncytial virus, added to existing concerns over COVID-19 and influenza season, have public health officials in the United States worrying about simultaneous epidemic-level surges of all three viruses. Already, data are pouring in from around the country, raising the alarm that what was first thought to be a potential near-future problem may be an actual present-day crisis. An article published in the Virginia Mercury notes that current RSV cases in the Commonwealth are roughly double what they were last October. The Mankato Free Press in Illinois noted that at least one urgent care center has seen both more RSV cases and earlier cases than in years past. Other local media report similar surges in Connecticut, Ohio, and other states. Meanwhile, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s FluView report, 2,332 people were hospitalized due to flu during the week that ended October 22, up from 1,674 the previous week. And finally, also from the CDC, comes news that COVID-19 cases are rising steadily (a 25.1% increase from one week to the next at the end of October, though hospitalizations were up only 1%).