NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- New York officials are concerned the state will be dealt a triple-whammy of three viruses—the flu, COVID-19 and RSV—as the winter months fast approach, with New Yorkers already "surrounded" by sick people.
Gov. Kathy Hochul held a press conference at her Midtown Manhattan office Wednesday to address the so-called “tripledemic” doctors have been increasingly warning about. “We are prepared for this triple threat,” she said.
As the state keeps an eye on “spikes and surges” and addresses staffing needs at hospitals during the holidays, Hochul said “complacency” is now the biggest challenge as people look to get beyond the coronavirus.
The governor urged people to take common sense measures like keeping up with vaccinations and getting tested before gatherings.
Dr. Mary Bassett, the state’s health commissioner, said, “We are very concerned about the flu season, about RSV, and about COVID.”
COVID-19 cases are up across the New York, particularly on Long Island, and the state now has the highest number of cases per 100,000 people in the U.S., at 34, according to the New York Times.
Meanwhile, early flu cases are through the roof compared to recent years.
There were 27,000 flu cases statewide for the week ending Nov. 26, compared to the previous week. During the 2019–2020 season, flu cases peaked at about 17,000 cases on the worst week.
“That’s what we’re concerned about—a dramatic jump compared to previous years,” Hochul said. “A 75% increase in positive flu cases since the beginning.”
There’s also been an increase in RSV cases in children, which is putting an added strain on hospitals.
Bassett noted kids haven’t built up their immune systems like usual due to coronavirus precautions.
“We’re coming out of a period when our children were really cloistered,” Bassett said. “They weren’t going to school. We were keeping them away from other people, even away from other children.”
“We’re just speculating that kids haven’t been exposed to many common viruses that they, in another time, would’ve been exposed to,” she said.
Hospitals in the state are handling the load of cases, but officials said people should only head to the ER if a viral case turns severe.
Additionally, Bassett called the state’s COVID-19 vaccine numbers “extremely worrying,” with just a fraction of eligible New Yorkers receiving the latest booster shot, which targets the highly contagious omicron variant.
“Only 13% of the population that’s eligible for the bivalent booster—that’s people who are five years and older—have received this booster,” Bassett said.
Only about a third of people 65 years and older in the state have received the booster, despite having a greater risk of complications from COVID-19.
Hochul urged people who will be visiting vulnerable loved ones to make sure they get tested beforehand.
“'We are surrounded by people who have COVID,” the governor warned, saying it “doesn’t have to be the norm that everyone gets sick.”
To schedule an appointment for a booster, New Yorkers should contact their local pharmacy, county health department, or healthcare provider; visit vaccines.gov; text their ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find nearby locations.
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