CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WV News) — The spread of respiratory syncytial virus cases has not let up in West Virginia, and influenza continues to threaten the area as surrounding states report high and very high flu activity.
Respiratory syncytial virus, more commonly known as RSV, continues to impact children and pediatric facilities around the nation — and West Virginia is no exception.
The CDC has said RSV cases in the United States are at “unprecedented levels,” as influenza rates also have risen much earlier in the season than previous years.
While flu cases remain low in West Virginia, more than half the states are reporting either high or very high levels of influenza-like activity, according to the CDC.
“There is increasingly clear evidence that we are going to see a rather severe flu season. We’re starting to see some of that now as the southeast part of the country has been enveloped in influenza A, which is the type of flu that’s going around. That’s combining with the current challenge we have with the respiratory syncytial virus, RSV,” said Dr. Clay Marsh, West Virginia’s COVID-19 czar.
This week, the CEOs of the Children’s Hospital Association and American Academy of Pediatrics sent a joint letter to President Joe Biden and Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra calling for an emergency declaration in response to rising cases of respiratory viruses, noting “significant capacity issues” in children’s hospitals.
COVID-19 community levels remained low as of Wednesday in most West Virginia counties, with the exception of some counties in the southwestern part of the state and the Northern Panhandle that had moderate levels, according to the CDC’s COVID-19 data tracker.
New variants of the Omicron COVID-19 virus are now the dominant forms of COVID-19 in circulation in the United States.
These variants can more easily evade the body’s immune system, but current bivalent booster vaccine currently available is effective against these variants, according to Marsh.
Still, only about 27% of Americans over 65, the highest risk demographic, have had the Omicron booster shot.
“That’s the reason why it’s really important for people who have not yet gotten their Omicron booster shot who are eligible to please do that,” Marsh said. “... We really can’t emphasize enough that right now is a really important time for people to get their flu shot and their new Omicron booster shot if they’re eligible.”
Marsh recommended immediate home testing for anyone who believes they may have COVID-19, as the Paxlovid therapy can provide protection against severe illness, death and long COVID. A recent study of VA patients found Paxlovid to reduce the risk of long COVID by 26% and the risk of death by 40% across all age groups and vaccination statuses, he said.
Senior staff Writer JoAnn Snoderly can be reached at 304-626-1445, by email at jsnoderly@theet.com or on Twitter at @JoAnnSnoderly.
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