It is time of the year, when families and friends meet to share holidays and some circulating diseases.
Peter Chen Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, said people should search for the “big four” breathing viruses that are currently moving across the United States-the influenza, Covid-19 and RSV-and the gastric virus-Virus Norovis.
According to Wasewaterscaan-a infectious disease control network led by researchers at Stanford University and Emory, with a Verily Laboratory Server, Alphabet Inc.–these four viruses are going throughout the country.
In the case of Covid-19, half of the United States east of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico-head heading to “Alia”, while Western countries are still generally low, with some hot points in major cities such as San Francisco, Seattle, Salt Lake, Boys,, According to the fund.
But it is possible that this will change as traveling on holidays moves those viruses about what Chin-Hong referred to as “wonderful holiday equivalents”.
It is the influenza that attracts the attention of most doctors and researchers at the present time.
While federalism Disease control centers and expectations for the severity of influenza this season were low, Chen Hong said he saw fateful signs coming from the model bell of the United States: the United Kingdom and South America.
In the United Kingdom, There were nearly four times the number of influenza cases In early December, they were at the same time last year. A similar trend occurred during the winter season in the South American countries in Chile, Ecuador and Uruguay, As hospitals were higher than the 2023 influenza season. Elsewhere in the southern continent, seasonal influenza rates were somewhat typical.
Chin-Hong suspected that the expectations of the Disease Control Center are based on the assumption that people have some “stage immunity” last year, and he said that vaccines help.
But until the influenza season starts in full swing, it is difficult to know exactly what it looks like and whether the vaccines have a completely covered strains covered.
Chen Hong said that there are two dominant strains of the circulating virus: H1N1 and H3N2, with the presence of the last virus associated with a more severe disease, which may cause an increase in hospitals abroad. But he said that this year vaccine should cover it.
“It is not too late,” he said, noting that the influenza season in the United States has just started.
In addition, with the fateful threat of H5N1 bird flu in the background, there is concern that it can mix with human seasonal flu. He said that obtaining vaccination and maintaining seasonal flu in the Gulf will reduce the chances of this occurrence.
Researchers and health officials say there is no evidence that H5N1 can be transmitted between people. But to keep safe more than safe as the virus moves through dairy herds in the country and commercial poultry, people should avoid raw milk, raw eggs and uncooked meat. Pasteurization and appropriate cooking techniques disable the virus.
But not only the influenza that threatens to relieve the good news of the nation.
Covid-19, RSV and Norovirus are also prevalent.
Covid-19 recently started to appear at high levels of municipal wastewater, but Chin-Hong said this does not necessarily mean that we will see an increase in hospitals. actually, While the number of cases Covid is heading, The Center for Disease Control is expected there It will be lower cases In the United States this year more than 2023.
“Some people believe that the reason why people do not get this year are that we have recently obtained it, especially in California, and therefore transportation is a kind of our protection, at least at the present time,” said Chen Hong. “The other hypothesis is that we had only enough courses in the population, so it might be somewhat low this year.”
However, he said, Kovid himself has proven an intelligent and adaptive virus, as he continued to empty the reinforced variables, so “besides low vaccination rates, and this is always fear with Covid, so that he returns back.”
The best things that one can do to avoid the three respiratory viruses – influenza, Covid and RSV – are the followers of “Three V’s: Labcinate, Preseilate and washing your hands a lot.” If it should be inside or close to others, the masks make a difference. But try to mix and the outdoor cavity or in the well -implemented areas.
As for norovirus, which causes intestinal infectious distress and usually spreads through the elements that multiple people deal with – such as plane trays, handrails and buffet that serve serving spoons – washing your hands is the key. In addition, keeping your hands away from your face is very important; This is the primary way for infection.
Chen Hong said Norvirus apparently everywhere these days.
He said: “From a short point of view, many of my colleagues were outside it.”
In addition, there are some viruses of the nose (common cold), whooping cough and walking for pneumonia.
Of course, he said, if you are not fine, stay at home. Nothing stops a virus or infectious bacteria is its paths such as maintaining insulation – even if it means losing holidays.