Doctors warn of “tripledemic” as holidays approach

WEST PLAINS, Mo. (KAIT) - ‘Tis the season of sickness?

Hospitals across the country are on high alert due to an increase in Flu, COVID-19, and RSV. Doctors are referring to the rise in all three viruses as a “tripledemic.”

With every day we get closer to the holidays, cases of seasonal sicknesses are rising.

“Seen quite a bit of RSV coming in this year. RSV is like the common cold that you see in children and grown adults. We’ve seen quite a bit of flu and COVID this year. It’s been fairly mild and there haven’t been as many hospitalizations as in the previous years,” Ozarks Healthcare Family Care Provider Dr. Ryan Vaisler explained.

As families make plans together this holiday season, Dr. Vaisler said the rise in sickness is worrisome.

“It’s always concerning when those young babies and those under two years old and then those over 65 years old as those individuals are more accustomed to getting RSV, flu, and COVID these days,” Dr. Vaisler said.

The doctor said vaccines are now available to fight the viruses in the tripledemic and are good to prevent the spreading the sicknesses.

“They actually just cleared the RSV vaccine for both adults and children recently and that’s something to consider and have a conversation with your primary care provider about,” Dr. Vaisler explained.

When it comes to family gatherings, following a few simple tips and tricks can keep everyone at the table happy and healthy.

“Make sure you’re cleaning your hands and not coughing on each other. Making sure that if there is someone sick in the home that they are keeping their distance from family members,” Dr. Vaisler added.

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