As the weather turns colder, doctors continue to warn against three big threats for viral infection: flu, COVID-19, and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus).
Dr. Gregory Poland with Mayo Clinic joined Adam and Jordana Wednesday morning, and he said it's possible for all three to strike at once.
Dr. Poland said the best defense is to get flu and updated COVID-19 vaccines. He also says wearing high-quality masks indoors and be very helpful.
The number of people who elect to get the newest COVID-19 vaccine booster continues to be pretty low, compared to previous rounds.
“So the updated booster does give you a bit of an advantage, and the key here is to get us through this winter,” Poland says. “We expect that the uptick in deaths and hospitalizations is going to occur mid-to-late Thanksgiving period.”
Poland is just back from the World Vaccine Congress in Barcelona, Spain, and he said the new shots are the best defense available.
“These new variants, which are circulating in Europe and now starting, in fact doubling every six or seven days here in the U.S., are likely to really wallop us this winter to be very frank about it,” Poland explained. “And they evade a lot of our immunity.”
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