In the midst of flu season, the CDC is suggesting people mask up this holiday season as RSV and COVID cases continue to rise yet again.
During the week of Thanksgiving, hospitalizations for the flu nearly doubled and COVID hospitalizations rose 27 percent in the first week of December. With the holiday right around the corner, transmission rates are expected to skyrocket over the coming weeks.
Despite flu vaccine rates being down, the CDC says that this year’s flu vaccine is a very good match for the strains being seen this year. Officials are recommending people to get vaccinated to protect themselves from all these strains of viruses, including Dr. Jason Salemi, Associate Professor of Epidemiology at USF, who is concerned that if people don’t take the proper precautions, the country will get into a precarious place yet again.
Salemi and other doctors believe that if any symptoms start to appear, you should get tested and get the proper medications to fight COVID and the flu. On top of that, vaccinations for each of these viruses are being recommended.
