State health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter says Louisiana could be in for a rough winter, with COVID still present, the RSV spreading among kids and the annual “flu season.” Kanter says this news may come as a surprise because the midterm elections have dominated the news.
“Pediatric hospitals right now across the country are really full, I expect as the election coverage dies down in a couple weeks, we’ll hear a lot more about that,” said Kanter.
Kanter says Louisiana hospital and doctors offices are filled with flu and RSV patients. He says two years of wearing masks, social distancing and isolation are meaning more people have less immunity to these viruses.
“This is expected to be a bad flu season and it already is, because we are a little bit more vulnerable, we haven’t had the exposure over the last couple of years,” said Kanter.
Kanter says there is a shortage (both here and nationally) of trained nursing and medical staff, which could present problems if RSV (Respiratory Sincytial Virus) or flu reach epidemic levels.
“So competing now with a larger labor market, it’s really challenging for them and the fact that we are going to put more attention going forward to keeping hospitals at the level that we have been taking for granted for years,” said Kanter.
There is no vaccine or shot for RSV, but Kanter urges you to get your annual flu shot and a COVID booster as soon as possible.
Comments