More people with lung illnesses are going to hospitals across Maryland.
Doctors say that more people are getting the flu, COVID-19, and RSV.
“Influenza is really getting worse, especially in the last two weeks,” said Dr. Andy Pekosz, a virologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
“All of them will make you feel awful a lot of the time. You’ll be sore, cough, and possibly get a headache or a sore throat. “In that way, they’re all very much the same,” LifeBridge Health Dr. Miriam Alexander said.
Alexander said that the first thing you should do if you have any of those signs is to figure out what is making you sick. There are tests for all three big viruses, and medicines that fight viruses can be used to treat the flu and COVID-19.
“People with severe viral infections need what we call supportive care right away,” Alexander said. “This could include oxygen or IV fluids.”
She said that masks, washing your hands, and getting a flu shot are the best ways to stay healthy.
There are many places to get the COVID-19 and flu shots. People over 60 years old and women who are pregnant can get an RSV vaccine.
There are not enough medicines for kids younger than two years old.
To make sure that this reaches the right people, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has put out rules. Pekosz suggested that you talk to your pediatrician or your local pharmacist.
They said that the winter virus season will last for a few more months before things start to get better.
Pekosz said to stay home if you’re sick.
“Even if you only have mild symptoms, you can shed the virus and give it to someone else with COVID-19, flu, or RSV,” he said.
Dr.s said it’s still possible to get a shot, but it will take about two weeks for the shot to work.