London, Europe Brief News – Experts have warned that a tripledemic is heading our way this winter. This trio of viral threats includes respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza (flu) and COVID.
Many children’s hospitals in other parts of the country are already experiencing a surge, fueled by a spike in respiratory viruses, leaving them with no free beds.
“COVID cases are expected to rise during the winter. This will be occurring at the same time we expect to see influenza rates increase also while we are already seeing an early start to RSV season,” said Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital.
“With all three viruses on the rise, we fear an increase in the rates of viral infection that may lead to an increase in hospitalizations also.”
What symptoms should we look out for?
With COVID-19, symptoms include:
fever or chills
respiratory symptoms (cough, sore throat, runny nose)
loss of taste and smell
fatigue
sore throat
muscle or body aches
headache
Influenza (flu) is typically defined by a really rapid onset. You might be feeling fine one minute, then all of a sudden, you feel like you were hit by a freight train. You can expect:
fever or chills
respiratory symptoms (cough, sore throat, runny nose)
muscle aches and pains
headaches
Children tend to have further stomach symptoms with influenza – stomachache, vomiting and diarrhea.
RSV results in runny noses and frequent sneezing, but it’s generally a milder infection compared to flu and COVID. Other RSV symptoms include:
coughing
fever
wheezing
decrease in appetite
