EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and the flu are back for the season, according to a local physician.
According to Dr. Glenn Fennelly, chair of pediatrics at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences, both diseases are common respiratory viruses that circulate in the late fall and early winter.
The viruses tend to attack the vulnerable like infants and the elderly.
“There have been over 1,300 deaths due to influenza so far this year, and when we look at what age groups that are most affected, it’s 65 (age) and over,” Dr. Fennelly said.
RSV and the flu could result in cases like:
Hospitalization
Respritory illnesses
Pneumonia
Death
“Influenza can afflict the elderly and that’s probably the biggest threat to adults because our community across the U.S. is well immunized against COVID-19; and many of us, if not most all, have been exposed. We do have, if you will, much better herd immunity,” Dr. Fennelly said.
Dr. Fennelly told KTSM the Texas trend show that RSV has peaked although in our region there is an increase every week.
“We have vaccines available to prevent COVID-19, RSV and influenza. All of these vaccines are approved,” Dr. Fennelly said.
To read more about the flu, click here.
To read more about RSV, click here.
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