Health officials recommend precautions for fall respiratory illness season

What traditionally was the influenza season became a triple threat last fall with COVID-19 and RSV.

Meritus Health officials are trying to avoid another season with lots of respiratory patients at the hospital and are encouraging people to get vaccinated.

The new flu shot is already available through local pharmacies, the first RSV vaccine came out recently, and a new COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be available soon.

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“A vaccine protects not only you but also others you come into contact with, including the elderly, infants, and people with compromised immune systems,” Dr. Mark Goedecker, WellSpan Health vice president and chief medical officer for primary care, said in an email. “Stay healthy and protect others around you with a vaccine.”

The vast majority of patients have been doing well recently, but there's still concern about preventing the spread of the viruses in the community, said Dr. Anand Budi, chief medical officer for Meritus Health near Hagerstown.

"We don't want to scare people, but to make sure people are taking the proper precautions," Budi said.

Don't go out to get tested

Because the symptoms are similar, and which of the three respiratory illnesses a person might have doesn't change the early management, Budi said people should not go to the hospital, urgent care or the doctor's office just to get tested to see which virus they might have.

They could end up getting sick from other patients in a medical setting, Budi said.

Budi recommends getting vaccinated, continuing to wash hands and that people with a respiratory illness wear a mask to prevent spreading the infection.

Meritus providers have seen a lot of positive cases for these three respiratory viruses in recent months, but they are not people who have required hospitalization, Budi said.

When to see doctor because of respiratory virus

Always call your doctor about any respiratory problems to see when you should be seen, Budi said. This lets the primary care provider track the progress of symptoms and determine if an in-person medical visit is warranted.

Virtual medical appointments are fairly common now. Check with your doctor's office. Meritus has Meritus Now, which often can provide same-day virtual appointments with a nurse practitioner through https://now.meritushealth.com, Meritus officials said.

If people are eating well, breathing normally, have a temperature of 101.5 degrees or less, and are coughing but managing to walk around the house taking care of their daily needs, they don't need to go into a medical office, Budi said. Get advice over the phone from your doctor's office and manage the illness at home. Do not send a sick child to school or daycare.

In 80% of cases, people do well in a home setting, he said.

Managing the respiratory illness at home includes drinking plenty of fluids and using a humidifier for steam, he said. Nutrition and nasal saline also can help.

Budi, a pediatrician, does not advise using most cough medicine for children with respiratory illnesses, especially younger than 5 years old. Sometimes cough medicine makes the child drowsy so they can't cough properly, which raises the risk of pneumonia, he said.

When a child has trouble breathing, such as breathing fast; isn't eating well; or has a temperature of 103 or higher, it's time to see a medical professional, Budi said. The same for adults. If parents see a child with nasal flaring or tugging upper respiratory muscles — neck or belly muscles, then definitely take the child to urgent care or the emergency department, he said.

Flu shot takes up to 10 days to kick in

While flu vaccines are already available through some pharmacies and health providers, Budi said the best time to get that shot is late September to early October. That's so the vaccine will help protect immune systems through the entire flu season, which can continue into late March or April.

Meritus will start offering influenza vaccinations to its staff and patient population between the third and fourth week this month, Budi said.

Do not go to Meritus Medical Center to get a flu shot. Instead, check with your local doctor or pharmacy.

The vaccine usually starts helping the immune system within seven to 10 days, Budi said.

A flu shot is generally recommended for anyone over 6 months of age.

Everybody should get the flu vaccine, especially the most vulnerable populations, Budi said. Those include people younger than 5 and older than 60. Those age groups are at greater risk for complications of the flu, including pneumonia, hospitalization and higher mortality rates, he said.

Citing CDC data, Wellspan officials said the flu led to between 300,000 and 650,000 hospitalizations last year and between 19,000 and 58,000 deaths across the U.S.

The more people who get vaccinated the greater the herd immunity, so the illness doesn't become a burden on the community, Budi said.

New COVID-19 vaccine expected later this year

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could announce guidelines for masking and the new COVID vaccine on Wednesday, Budi said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved and authorized updated COVID vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer on Monday. Those vaccines "more closely target currently circulating variants," according to an agency release. A CDC advisory committee was expected to meet Tuesday to discuss clinical recommendations and who should get the updated vaccine.

Meritus officials are hearing the recommendation is for everyone to get the new COVID shot, Budi said Friday.

"We're going to follow the CDC guidelines," he said.

For now, Meritus is recommending people get vaccinated and mask up if they have any respiratory illness.

The Washington County Health Department has COVID-19 clinics scheduled through 2023, according to an email from spokesperson Joelle Butler. Health department officials are waiting for their supply of new COVID immunization boosters and plan to work with community partners to target senior citizens through additional clinics, she wrote.

New RSV vaccine for older people

RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is the most common cause of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia (infection of the lungs) in children younger than 1 year of age in the United States, according to the CDC.

Because it affects the smaller airways, it's of particular danger to young children and people over 60 because older people tend to have other medical conditions and their airways get narrower with age, Budi said.

Like other viruses, RSV causes the body to secret sheets of mucus. The immune system fights it, with antibodies passing through the sheets of mucus, Budi said. But with RSV, the mucus is so thick that it takes the antibodies longer or they fail to kill the virus, he said.

The new RSV vaccine is for ages 60 and older.

“If you are age 60 or older, talk to your primary care provider or pharmacist about this vaccine and whether it is right for you,” Goedecker said.

The new RSV vaccine is not for children, but doctors could authorize immunoglobulin treatments for high-risk populations such as babies born with congenital heart disease, Budi said. Parents should discuss those options and risks with their doctor.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Health officials recommend precautions for flu, RSV and COVID