The Virginia Department of Health reports that we're currently in a lull between waves of respiratory illnesses. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports.
Cases of respiratory viruses in the commonwealth are currently low but trending upwards, according to VDH data on emergency department visits. Elena Diskin, who oversees disease surveillance for the department, said infections typically spike at the very end of the year.
ELENA DISKIN: We've been seeing COVID-19 activity decreasing since about early September, after the summer wave, and flu and RSV are still pretty low right now. We're seeing the same nationally as well. However we do expect to see flu, COVID and RSV activity pick up in the next few weeks, as we move deeper into fall and winter. … And the best way to prevent against serious illness is by staying up to date on your vaccines.
If you did catch COVID as part of that August-September wave –
DISKIN: You can consider delaying or waiting to get your updated COVID vaccine by about three months since you last had your COVID infection, and that's really mainly to make sure that when you get your updated COVID vaccine, you're kind of maximizing the protection that it can give you.
Diskin said patients should talk to their healthcare providers if they're unsure about when to get vaccines and boosters. COVID and flu shots are available at most local pharmacies, as are RSV vaccines for adults over 75 years of age, or over 60 with certain risk factors.
