During this week's 2 Your Well-Being, Dr. Angela Bacigalupo from Cone Health's Burlington Family Practice talked all things respiratory illness this winter.
What is the tripledemic?
The tripledemic is a rise in three different viruses, COVID-19, flu and RSV.
What is the likelihood of one happening?
We are already in the midst of a 'tripledemic.' COVID-19 has never gone away, we've continued to see cases in the community since it started to spread. Dr. Bacigalupo says we are expecting to see another surge of COVID-19 this winter. She says North Carolina is already seeing a record rise in flu cases much earlier in the season than we typically do, and RSV cases are particularly high, especially in pediatric patients.
How long could it last?
Dr. Bacigalupo says current models show that we'll see the tripledemic throughout the typical flu season. She says RSV and flu season have typically always overlapped from October/November through March/April and sometimes May.
What can people do to help prevent the tripledemic?
Dr. Bacigalupo says prevention is the most important tool for fighting the tripledemic. She says there are three things you can do:
- Good hand hygiene and good cough etiquette, and if you're sick stay home
- Get vaccinated for these illnesses
- Masking up, consider putting your mask back on if you're going to be indoors
