ATLANTA — It’s the gift that nobody wants for the holidays, a respiratory virus. But as December winds down and winter kicks into full gear, according to the Atlanta-based Center for Disease Control, those viruses are on the upswing.
The CDC says Georgia is well into the “Upper Moderate Range” which means if you’ve seen and heard more people around you coughing and sniffling, it wasn’t your imagination. From different versions of the Flu to RSV, more people are finding their way to the hospital, looking for help.
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Doctor Maneesha Argarwal, an Emergency Room Doctor at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta says it is not too late to take preventative action.
“We are definitely seeing increases in flu activity, it’s still early on in the season,” Argarwal said. “If you haven’t gotten a flu shot, now is the time to get it.”
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The CDC says that nationally, the numbers for the Flu keep rising. Could it have been that Thanksgiving togetherness? Maybe.
If you want to take a look at how quickly cases rise and subside nationally, you can look at a chart on their website. You can also break down numbers in the state of Georgia.
The listing shows a very clear snapshot for the state:
- Covid numbers are minimal
- Flu numbers are moderate
- RSV numbers are listed as very high
Doctor Argarwal says the number of RSV cases, particularly in children, is very concerning.
“It can cause difficulty breathing and condition bronchial issues.” Argarwal said. “That is one of the most common reasons children are hospitalized”.
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The viruses have not played favorites, even Christmas’s favorite singer, Mariah Carey is out of action. Carey had to cancel a series of concerts over the past several days. She told fans “Unfortunately, I’m still sick”.
Children’s Healthcare is telling families this holiday season to get vaccinated, to stay home if you are anyone else in your family is sick and most importantly, to wash your hands.
For those of you not sure what is making you feel “Under the Weather”, you can still get free COVID tests from the Federal Government or you can buy combination test kits that test for both COVID and the flu.
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