Report: Fears of Coronavirus, Flu, RSV ‘Tripledemic’ on the Rise Across U.S.

The fear of a “tripledemic” is rising as cases of flu, coronavirus, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) surge across the U.S.

A recent Hill report revealed that Americans’ “confidence is waning” after the public initially had high levels of optimism heading into the 2023 cold season armed with new vaccines. 

As respiratory viruses quickly spread, “enthusiasm for the new COVID-19 vaccines turned out to be abysmal,” the report stated, citing public health data. 

Wastewater detection researchers have found that 69 percent of tested sites are experiencing large increases in virus levels, and flu activity is “elevated and continues to increase in most parts of the country,” according to the newest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Influenza Surveillance Report.

The health agency also reports that almost eight million fewer people received the flu shot by mid-December compared to the same period in 2022. 

Polling from health policy research organization KFF found that only about 20 percent of U.S. adults reported getting the newest coronavirus shot. The Hill noted that “many Americans likely haven’t been immunized since receiving their first doses in 2020 or 2021.”

“We’re definitely seeing an increase in the number of flu cases, COVID-19. They’re both surging right now,” said Luis Ostrosky, chief of infectious diseases and epidemiology with UTHealth Houston and Memorial Hermann.

Telling the publication about the Houston-area RSV cases he has seen, Ostrosky said cases spiked in early December.

“This is so alarming that it prompted CDC to send out a health alert towards the end of December reminding all clinicians to really work on getting patients vaccinated and, when they have symptoms, tested so that they can access therapy if they need it,” he added. 

For the three main viruses going around, “the numbers are not looking good,” according to Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

“I think when we get some new numbers for the last week, it’s going to be sort of continued trends in the same direction and increased activity across all of those conditions,” he added.

A common theme amongst different healthcare professionals interviewed by the Hill was that people are getting vaccinated less and infected more. 

The CDC estimates that from October 1 through December 30, there have been between ten and 19 million cases of the flu and 6,500-19,000 flu deaths.

“I think we’re kind of going back to, you know, the old approach of people don’t stay home when they’re sick,” said Plescia. “And they think it’s sort of a minor thing and the thought that they might infect somebody else just doesn’t really occur to them.”