SULLIVAN COUNTY –– COVID-19, influenza and RSV, labeled the ‘tripledemic,’ are on the minds of many heading into the holiday weekend. Furthermore, there have been national reports of children’s medicine shortages, as well as high patient volumes at medical facilities.

Local officials reported in early December that the County was reaching weekly flu levels not usually seen until January of the flu season. Those high flu numbers have continued. 

“We are outpacing COVID-19 with flu, with recent month data showing 1,022 [positive] COVID-19 tests reported and 1,356 cases of influenza, overwhelmingly Influenza A,” said Acting Public Health Director Karen Holden. “These are of course lab confirmed tests only.  RSV continues to circulate, though we don’t have numbers we do hear anecdotally that it is slowing a bit but still of concern.”

At the beginning of the month, the Democrat reached out to Garnet Health after reports of long wait times at their urgent care locations in Goshen, Monticello and Middletown, which was due to an increase in respiratory illness. 

Earlier this week, Dr. Reena Patel, Garnet Health Urgent Care Medical Director, said patient volume for respiratory illnesses remains high.

Statewide, there was a 19 percent week-over-week jump in lab-confirmed cases of the flu across New York and a six percent increase in flu-related hospitalizations.

According to the NYS Department of Health, nationally, the weekly U.S. surveillance report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates there have been 9,300 deaths across the country so far this season attributed to flu, including 30 pediatric deaths. Additionally, an estimated 150,000 hospitalizations have been due to influenza, which is a higher cumulative rate than during the same time period for each flu season since 2010-2011.

Prevention

Dr. Patel added that people should be sure they are feeling well before visiting others during the holidays. Furthermore, she said the best way to prevent disease is to get adequate rest, consume nutritious and vitamin-rich foods, and get vaccinated. 

Holden, echoing similar sentiments, reminds the public to stay home and wear a mask if they feel sick, wash their hands, cough into the bend of their elbow, throw away their tissues, in addition to getting vaccinated against preventable illnesses.

Speaking of which, Holden said she continues to beat the drum of “prevention is the best medicine.”

“Please consider getting vaccinated for the flu,” she said. “Multiple pharmacies offer the ‘flu shot’ and do not require an appointment.”