SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Flu season isn’t in full swing just yet, but that’s not stopping illnesses from floating around Central New York. Many children and adults are feeling under the weather.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 arrived this summer and its still circulating around Central New York, with people in the hospital. But there’s good news.
“If you look at the testing data and the numbers they are actually on a little bit of a decline, so I think we’re on the downwards slope from our little summer surge,” said Dr. Stephen Thomas, Upstate Global Health Director.
Dr. Thomas doesn’t expect it to stay that way for long though. With winter on the way, and the lack of people getting vaccinated.
“The last time we had a new COVID vaccine available only about 17 percent or two out of 10 Americans elected to take it so that means there’s not a ton of community-level immunity around and it’s been a while for a lot of people since they had been infected so there’s not a ton of natural immunity around. So I think all those factors are going to contribute to a definite uptick in November and December,” said Dr. Thomas.
But that’s not the only virus getting people sick.
“There’s a little bit of RSV you know looking at the testing done here at Upstate. It’s low numbers but we really had an increase last November,” said Dr. Thomas.
Dr. Thomas expects another uptick this year.
Flu activity is also low right now, but it’s expected to change.
“My guess would be that it’s going to be a pretty big flu season and the reason I think that is because we’ve had pretty low seasons for the last three years,” said Dr. Thomas.
Getting vaccinated, staying home if you’re sick, and washing your hands are just some of the ways to protect yourself as we head into the winter.
