Respiratory illness activity is elevated or increasing across most areas of the United States, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In total, 15 states plus New York City are experiencing “high” or “very high” levels of respiratory illness activity, defined as people going to the doctor with symptoms from any respiratory disease including flu, COVID, RSV and the common cold.

COVID-19 and flu hospitalizations appear to be trending upward while RSV hospitalizations appear to be to be stable, the data shows.

  • Wooster@startrek.website
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    7 months ago

    Covid vaccination is at an all time low since roll out, we have new strains, and everyone is back from sharing bugs with relatives at Thanksgiving.

    Christmas is up soon.

    • lennybird@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Working at a hospital, what I’m seeing isn’t so much covid yet in our region but positive tests for rhinovirus - the common cold. This is turning into croup, causing wheezing and bronchitis and massive coughing fits for weeks on end.

      I should know. My household also has it…

      Not to say flu and covid isn’t circulating, too, however.

      Friendly reminder that proper nasal irrigation with distilled water, hypertonic saline solutions (isotonic is still helpful if you can’t take the burning) along with gargling saltwater can reduce symptoms, duration, or advancement into the lungs.

      • Chetzemoka@startrek.website
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        7 months ago

        Also working at a hospital, we’re definitely seeing Covid, and a surprising amount of RSV in older folks. Not a ton of flu yet, but that may be because flu vaccine has good uptake in the elderly population here.

      • lingh0e@sh.itjust.works
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        7 months ago

        I just got over exactly what you described. No fever, negative covid tests, but uncontrollable coughing and a crackling wheeze that stuck around for a month and a half. Doctors put me through two rounds of antibiotics and cough suppressants. And I’m still not entirely out of the woods yet.

        • lennybird@lemmy.world
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          7 months ago

          Sorry to hear that. I’ve been dealing with this crap for only a week so far and I’m not at the point of needing antibiotics yet but it could very quickly turn that way… Coughing so much your diaphragm is sore sucks. Maybe I’ll get some ab definition lol.

    • scottywh@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      I’ve managed to avoid it for nearly 4 years but my son brought it home from high school last Friday and I finally tested positive yesterday… Feeling pretty crummy today but I’m confident it would have been significantly worse if I weren’t vaccinated.

      • Revonult@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        Get antivirals asap. They are a covid gamechanger. Need to start taking them within a day or two of symptoms but most states have a service you call, same day appointment over phone, and prescribed.

  • Hotdogman@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    Let’s see, forced return to work, more cars on the roads especially in and around big cities. Not saying it 's the cause but, it is not helping.

    • shalafi@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      There are clear benefits to physically working together, but between the time spent commuting, burning fuel, wearing the car out and shared illness, it just ain’t worth it.

      • MTK@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        There are clear benefits to physically working together

        To some people in some fields. I don’t get this mindset that there is some magic in coming back to the office, I can tell you that I work better from home and am happier when I decide who to see when and not when some CEO says I should go to the office.

        • shalafi@lemmy.world
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          7 months ago

          We’re a software dev, all WFH, but we have an office for getting together. Examples:

          Went in one day, few coworkers hanging around, mainly shooting the shit.

          Talking to a manager from a different group I found out 2 important things that I never knew, would have never thought to ask. That kind of organic conversation doesn’t happen on Slack.

          Sitting at my desk, I hear the guys in front of me discussing a thing. “Hey! My team was just talking about that this morning! Can you give us some insight on how that works?” Again, not a thing I would have heard on Slack.

          Can you deny that humans are pack animals? That we benefit from social interaction and die without it? This is Psychology 101.

          Or how about this? What’s more fun: Having a bunch of friends over for a LAN party or playing the same game online at your own homes? Which of those two options provides better collaboration?

          Say 2 people want a thing from me, both things are of exactly equal importance. Who am I helping first? The one I know personally, or the one I’ve only seen on Zoom?

          FFS, y’all can’t even admit there are benefits without going off on an anti-capitalist/anti-CEO rant. Even a statement saying, “Yeah, benefits, nah, not worth it.”, is anathema.

          • MTK@lemmy.world
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            7 months ago

            Don’t you see how there are other options to literally everything you said here?

            I would spell it all out for you, but I believe you can do it yourself.

            Some people might benefit from it and some might not. There is no absolutes here. And no, not everything is for sure going to be helpful. It’s just annoying to think that going to the office is going to be always helpful and give some sort of benefit. It just isn’t true. For some situations and some people it might be.

            And the whole “humans are pack animals” thing, that’s just stupid. It doesn’t have anything to do with going back to the office. I can have my “pack” as friends and my work as work and these two don’t have to mix together. That’s just annoying.

            • shalafi@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              You thinking I’m some sort of absolutist here? I didn’t say going in was always useful, some of us find it more annoying than helpful. But there are times when there’s a clear benefit.

              I can have my “pack” as friends and my work as work and these two don’t have to mix together.

              So you don’t view the workplace as a social situation? You don’t have any sort of on-the-job social interaction with your coworkers? You don’t think humans evolved to work together, built all kinds of rules and behaviors around that requirement? I honestly don’t know how to respond to that.

                • shalafi@lemmy.world
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                  7 months ago

                  Doesn’t it?! I mean not 100%, but there’s a hella impact from physical association.

                  Had a team meeting in Nashville last year. Despite seeing each other on Zoom daily, we were still strangers. After that? Everyone knew each other better, and that was nice. There was more comfort, camaraderie and respect. Looking someone in the eye and hugging them kinda works that way.

                  Funny thing to your point, my “best friend” at the company and I were so tight, despite never having met in person, our boss said, “So, uh, you guys met before? Already know each other?”

                  But that relationship took a LOT of afterhours calls and shooting the shit, plus just being compatible. Pretty unusual.

                  One of the few guys I know from the office, when we had one, was the only person to come to my wedding. Think he would have done that if he had never sat down and ate lunch with me?

          • lingh0e@sh.itjust.works
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            7 months ago

            I’m glad you find value in your situation.

            I don’t necessarily share your opinions, as my situations have been entirely different. A majority of the office based jobs I’ve had could have absolutely been fully remote. Hell, I might have kept one or two of them for longer if they were remote.

            • shalafi@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              Were you under the impression that I have to go into an office? Just saying there are benefits, though WFH outweighs them.

              • lingh0e@sh.itjust.works
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                7 months ago

                No. Was my brief post that confusing?

                I was under the impression that you found value in your situation… which is why I said that I was happy for you finding value in your situation.

                I was also under the impression that I didn’t find value in my return to work situations, and that the majority of the office jobs I’ve had can be done 100% remotely… which is why I said that I didn’t find value in my situations said the majority of the office jobs I’ve had could be done 100% remotely.

                Notice I didn’t make any comments about your shitty closing paragraph that is an out of hand dismissal of anyone who might have an opposing view?

            • shalafi@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              LOL, right?! Lemmy, like reddit, has a hard-on for certain things, and one dare not propose any other angles or nuance. Not even if, in the end, you still agree!

  • derf82@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    I have the new COVID shot and the flu shot, and I still caught a nasty bug that has knocked me out days. Severe sore throat, cough, and sinus congestion. Took 2 COVID tests, both negative.

    • gothic_lemons@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      My 3rd one finally came back positive. My pet theory is a new covid that is taking longer to show on tests. But my evidence is literally me and a friend. So you know don’t take my word for it

    • ChexMax@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      I had two negative COVID home tests, then tested positive at the doctor’s, for whatever it’s worth

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    I once again have to ask why the people who deny climate change also want our world to be as polluted as possible? Because they don’t seem to deny that pollution exists.

    • MotoAsh@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      It’s not about having a cohesive world view. They just want to take as extravagant of a life they can, damn the consequences. They are quite literally selfish evil scum, nothing more.

  • piecat@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    Anecdotal hearsay, but I heard there’s a respiratory bug going around that may be bacterial. Antibiotics were apparently effective.

    • TimewornTraveler@lemm.ee
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      7 months ago

      everything’s going around, including strep which is bacterial, and covid flu rsv rhinos etc which are not

      • Dozzi92@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        Yeah, it’s December. It’s arguably one of the busier months of the year, everyone has plans, and every day you’re rolling the dice, especially if you have kids. I just want to get through New Year’s, when the winter really hits.

  • pan_troglodytes@programming.dev
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    7 months ago

    havent seen that in the pnw, yet - though a flu bug is making its rounds, I had it this week and was down for most of the week. or maybe it was covid. similar symptoms

    • vivadanang@lemm.ee
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      7 months ago

      puget sound here - we’ve had waves of covid and rsv come through the schools. and practically no one wears a mask lol. fml

      I tested 4 times, 3 negative for covid, one positive, a couple months back. It’s def out there, but I think the older style tests aren’t as good at catching it early.

      :| glad I was able to get my booster recently though.

      • Pretzilla@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        You didn’t need a covid booster so soon after testing positive, just for future reference.

        And just ignore the negative results - the RATs have a high false negative rate so that’s expected. Yea, they need the stars to align to show positive.

        • vivadanang@lemm.ee
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          7 months ago

          You didn’t need a covid booster so soon after testing positive, just for future reference.

          perhaps but I didn’t want to wait until any natural antibodies waned before trying to find a covid booster in the middle of the winter.

    • kinther@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Seattle here and got a cold the other week from work. Everyone was coughing and sneezing. Felt like crap the following day