Department of Medicine News

WCAX Interviews Lahey about Post-Holiday Uptick in Flu, RSV, COVID

January 5, 2024 by Lucy Gardner Carson

(JANUARY 5, 2024) Infectious disease specialist Timothy Lahey, M.D., M.M.Sc., professor of medicine, commented to WCAX-TV about an influx in cases of flu, RSV, and COVID in Vermont following the holidays.

Infectious disease specialist Timothy Lahey, M.D., M.M.Sc., professor of medicine

(JANUARY 5, 2024) Infectious disease specialist Timothy Lahey, M.D., M.M.Sc., professor of medicine, commented to WCAX-TV about an influx in cases of flu, RSV, and COVID in Vermont following the holidays.

The Vermont Health Department’s weekly COVID update for the week ending December 30 shows 56 new admissions, the most since about this time last year. Officials say the numbers coincide with the celebrations of the holiday season in which people generally celebrate indoors.

“The number of people coming down with cold-like symptoms right now is similar to the number of people who got cold-like symptoms during the bigger COVID surges,” Lahey said. “What’s different now is that the severity of illness in people who have COVID is a little bit less than it was during those biggest surges.”

Officials say elderly folks and those who are immunocompromised continue to check into the hospital with respiratory illnesses at an increased rate.

Read full story at WCAX-TV