Tis the Season for Flu, RSV, and COVID
Courtney Carter
/ Categories: WELLNESS, 2024

Tis the Season for Flu, RSV, and COVID

Vaccination Season is Here

While seasonal flu, COVID, and respiratory infection levels are currently low to moderate nationwide, medical experts expect them to increase in the coming weeks, thanks to holiday gatherings, travel, and simply spending more time indoors.

This is why NOW is the time to get vaccinated. 

According to the CDC, respiratory viruses are responsible for millions of illnesses and thousands of hospitalizations and deaths in the United States every year. In addition to the virus that causes COVID-19, there are many other types of respiratory viruses, including flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The good news is that you can protect yourself and others from health risks caused by respiratory viruses by getting vaccinated.

Vaccines are currently available at many pharmacies and through your healthcare provider’s office. A simple shot provides the necessary antibodies to fight off infection or make it less severe.

 

Here’s a look at the current Fall and Winter Immunization recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

COVID-19 and Flu Vaccines

  • ​Everyone 6 months and older

RSV Immunization to Protect Babies

  • Vaccine | Pregnant parents during weeks 32-36 of pregnancy during RSV season

  • Monoclonal Antibodies | Babies entering or born during RSV season

RSV Vaccine for Older Adults 

  • People ages 60 and over at high risk of severe RSV

  • Everyone ages 75 and older

  • Currently, older adults only need to get the RSV vaccine once; not annually

 

A Word About Bird Flu

Over the past eight months, 58 cases of H5N1 bird flu, a type of avian influenza, have been confirmed in the U.S. While H5N1 is considered a dangerous pathogen, with a case fatality rate of around 50%, none of the infected Americans has required hospitalization. The majority of those infected work in close contact with dairy cattle and poultry flocks with infection likely occurring by the virus entering a person's eyes, nose, or mouth, or being inhaled.

Even though the virus can be passed from mammal to mammal, there currently is no evidence of human-to-human contamination. However, recent research from the National Institutes of Health found the H5N1 bird flu virus could be just one mutation away from being able to spread amongst humans.

While there’s no need to panic, it is important to stay current on any news and alerts related to bird flu. For the latest information and recommendations regarding bird flu from the CDC, click here.

In addition, the CDC recommends the following to avoid infection:

  • Avoid consuming or coming into contact with unpasteurized dairy products.

  • Wash your hands with soap and water after handling wild birds, poultry, and livestock. 

  • Get tested if you develop flu-like symptoms.

  • Stay home when sick, especially with fever and cough.

  • Get your seasonal flu vaccine.

 

Dr. Marie George, MD is an Infectious Disease Specialist at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington, VT, and a member of the Travel Clinic team at the hospital.

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The Latest Testing Information

The world of COVID-19 testing is very complex and changing rapidly. But gratefully, unlike early on in the pandemic, tests are available for everyone who wants one, whether they have symptoms or not. Below is a list of common questions, along with answers from SVMC’s Laboratory Services Director Karen Bond and SVMC’s Director of Perioperative Services Tanya Cowder, MSN, RN, CNOR.

What are the reasons someone may get tested for COVID-19, even if they don't have symptoms? People without symptoms of COVID-19 are being tested when they are admitted to SVMC, before being discharged to other facilities, before scheduled surgeries, or because they may have been exposed to the virus. Primary care providers are also able to order a test for those who need to return to work or school or to end quarantine or isolation. And anyone can be tested through the Vermont Department of Health's Pop-Up Clinics.

What types of tests are available for detecting active cases of COVID-19? SVMC offers Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing that is processed at both outside labs and our own lab, depending on how quickly results are needed. PCR, which was pioneered by American biochemist Kary Mullis in 1983, actually amplifies and detects the presence or absence of small gene sections. In this case, it determines whether or not COVID-19 is present.

The specimen is most often taken from deep in the nose-throat passageway (nasalpharyngeal). Patients experience eye watering and a burning sensation for 30 seconds or less. The test can also be taken from inside the nose (anterior nares), depending on the patient population. The most common type of test, like those administered both at SVMC’s drive-up testing station and at the Vermont Department of Health’s Pop-Up Clinics, is greater than 90% sensitive (meaning that the test picks up the virus, if it is present) and greater than 90% specific (meaning the test detects the COVID-19 virus, as opposed to other viruses).

How do I get my results and what should I do? Results are usually provided by a primary care provider within 48 hours. Your primary care provider will share specific directions regarding what you should do next. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sharing this table, which provides a synopsis of tests, what results mean, and guidance for what to do. If the test is positive, the Vermont Department of Health may call before the primary care provider to initiate contact tracing.

Are all of the tests sufficiently available? Yes. Anyone with an order from their primary care provider can be tested at the drive-up testing site at SVMC. Anyone can be tested at the Vermont Department of Health's Pop-Up Clinics. Visit https://humanresources.vermont.gov/popups for times, dates, and locations. Tests for inpatients at the hospital are also in adequate supply.

Important Note: Remember test results offer a snap shot of the current active viral load. A negative test result doesn’t reveal whether you have been exposed in the past or predict whether you will be infected in the future. Whether or not the result is positive, we should all continue to wash our hands frequently, wear masks when in public and in proximity to those outside of our household, and stay 6 feet from others.

What about antibody tests? Antibody tests (serology) are also available. It does not tell you if you have active disease. Antibody tests check for antibodies that appear in the blood between about 1 – 3 weeks after symptom onset and may remain as long as a lifetime. Antibody tests may be positive while a person is infected. It is not yet known whether these antibodies protect against reinfection with the COVID-19 virus. For many other similar viruses, antibodies are protective for years or longer, but we do not yet have adequate data to know for COVID-19. Patients who would like the test would get a referral from their primary care provider and come to the SVMC Lab to have blood drawn. Results are delivered by the primary care provider.

Those who receive a positive antibody test or who have recovered from COVID-19 may qualify to donate plasma with the American Red Cross. The plasma, which includes antibodies, may help those fighting the disease. Learn more at https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/dlp/plasma-donations-from-recovered-covid-19-patients.html.

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