New Hampshire hospitals and doctors’ offices are seeing a post-holiday spike in patients with respiratory illnesses, including flu, COVID-19 and RSV.
It’s typical for flu and COVID cases to climb around this time of year. But State Epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said the rise in RSV cases is coming later in the season than usual, and that can impact the broader health system.
“We're seeing all three of these respiratory viruses – influenza, COVID-19 and RSV – increasing simultaneously,” he said.
Chan said basic precautions – like washing your hands and staying home when sick – are especially important this time of year, along with getting recommended vaccinations. He noted that flu cases often peak in January or February, and COVID cases could continue to rise as well.
“We continue to recommend vaccination as the first and the best line of defense,” he said.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that nearly everyone 6 months and older get a flu shot and COVID vaccine every year. The agency says annual shots are important because they provide a boost to immunity – which wanes over time after a vaccination or infection – and target more current viral strains.
As of mid-December, about 30% of New Hampshire adults had gotten an updated COVID vaccine, while 50% had gotten their annual flu shots, according to the CDC.
RSV immunizations are also available for infants and older adults, who tend to be at highest risk.
Dr. Lukas Kolm, the medical director for emergency services at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover, offered a few other suggestions for those looking to stay healthy this time of year: Replace handshakes with fist-bumps. Use your knuckle to press elevator buttons. Wash your face and hands before bed.
“When you have gatherings over the holidays, you can anticipate spikes,” he said.
It can also be a good idea to mask up in crowded areas, especially when people around you are visibly ill, said Dr. Rebecca Wang, an infectious disease physician at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon.
“All of the precautions that we've talked about for so many years can be helpful,” she said.
For people who are older, have weakened immune systems or are otherwise at higher risk, she said it’s a good idea to ask your doctor about anti-viral medications if you do test positive for flu or COVID. Those medications can reduce the risk of severe disease.
