GREENSBORO, N.C. — You've seen these words before and maybe you've recently experienced one of these illnesses: Flu, COVID-19, and RSV.
Health officials said they are seeing a rise in all of these illnesses and lots of local Triad families are feeling the effects of this.
As far as RSV is concerned, it mainly impacts young children, specifically between ages 1- 2. Cases range from mild to severe symptoms but the virus can impact people of all ages.
Rachel Wolford and her family had to experience RSV on many occasions. The most recent was with her infant daughter, Olivia when she was just nine days old.
"The hospital rooms were full. They all had RSV. We were actually in the ICU unit or the PICU and they were coming in trying to get the machines that we weren't using. They were needing the equipment because there were so many kids coming in so fast with it," Wolford explained.
Other illnesses we have to keep an eye out for are COVID-19 and the flu.
One Triad family said they just got over having COVID-19 a couple of weeks ago, just for their family to become ill with another virus.
Kaci Pike said this season of illnesses is hitting her home a lot harder than in the past.
"Where we are kind of like post-pandemic, not masked, but I've been hearing not only on social media, more so heard from the doctor when we went to the doctor they were saying in particular kindergartners they've seen a lot and just a lot of people that I know have been sick recently, like almost everybody," Pike explained.
As far as the flu and COVID-19 go, there are vaccines to prevent and lessen symptoms.
One of the big problems with RSV is there's no vaccine yet.
The CDC said most people recover from RSV in a week or two, but the illness can be serious, especially for infants and older adults.
"People infected with RSV are usually contagious for 3 to 8 days and may become contagious a day or two before they start showing signs of illness. However, some infants, and people with weakened immune systems, can continue to spread the virus even after they stop showing symptoms, for as long as 4 weeks," the CDC's website said.
Pfizer just finished trials on an RSV vaccine and they hope to submit it for FDA approval this year.