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submitted 6 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

Welcome to sick season.

According to the CDC, New York City — along with New Jersey and at least 16 other states — is now experiencing “high” to “very high” levels of respiratory-illness activity as measured by the number of weekly visits to health-care providers and emergency rooms by people having symptoms of fever, cough, and sore throat.

The culprits are the usual suspects: this year’s strains of influenza, COVID, and RSV. And though flulike-illness levels have been above baseline nationally for several consecutive weeks, the CDC warns that we still haven’t hit the peak.

...

As always, seniors remain the most at-risk demographic for severe outcomes from respiratory illnesses, which is why the low vaccination rates for that group remain troubling.

Beyond vaccination, for everyone, the best way to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses like the flu and RSV is regular handwashing; avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth; and staying home if you get sick. High-filtration face masks still work great, too, and not just for avoiding COVID.

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[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 98 points 6 months ago

Boy am I glad I'm having surgery on Thursday.

In a hospital.

Full of people with these highly contagious respiratory illnesses.

Oh well, at least I'm vaccinated.

[-] ivanafterall@kbin.social 20 points 6 months ago

Good luck! I hope it's completely unremarkable.

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 14 points 6 months ago

Me too. Thank you.

[-] Maggoty@lemmy.world 12 points 6 months ago

Good luck. I went to one for an hour appointment and got COVID. Also vaccinated. The strain out there right now just does not care.

[-] MDKAOD@lemmy.ml 9 points 6 months ago

The strain out there right now just does not care.

For real. Caught covid for the first time just before Thanksgiving. Got the newest booster back in October. New strain be like a honey badger.

[-] Poem_for_your_sprog@lemmy.world 11 points 6 months ago

Why aren't things separated into something like surgical/lab test centers and illness centers.

Why must I sit next to someone with COVID just to get my 3rd colonoscopy of the week?

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 6 points 6 months ago

The hospital here does have a separate surgery center, but it is only for simple procedures. Apparently mine requires more than what the surgery center can do, so I have to be in the main hospital.

[-] Drusas@kbin.social 7 points 6 months ago

It's insane to me that hospitals and doctors' officers don't require masking of all parties while indoors. They spread disease almost as much as children do (not really, but they tend to spread worse diseases than children do), and they get lots of immunocompromised people in there.

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[-] athos77@kbin.social 8 points 6 months ago

Maybe get some more N95s?

[-] SeaJ@lemm.ee 5 points 6 months ago

Wear an N95 mask. You should be making up in hospitals and clinics anyway.

[-] TheRealLinga@sh.itjust.works 4 points 6 months ago

It's so funny. I don't know you, and yet I have this bague picture of your life from reading your comments here and there.

I hope this surgery is going to solve what's been going on! Feel better! Don't stress 😊

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 5 points 6 months ago

I'm hopeful too, thanks. I am trying not to stress, but any surgery is risky, so I'm a little bit on edge, but I've been sick for months, so this is my last hope before the Mayo clinic.

[-] TheRealLinga@sh.itjust.works 5 points 6 months ago

Well I'm rooting for you! You'll be ok. And of course you already know this, but try to focus on the moment now instead of the possibility of unhappiness and pain in the future. Worrying doesn't help anything. And for all you know your life will be greatly improved!

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[-] Son_of_dad@lemmy.world 95 points 6 months ago

Saw a guy on the subway having a cough the whole ride, two weeks later I have COVID again. I find myself wearing a mask this month cause I don't want a flu or anything, and not a single person has a mask on and is looking at me like I'm a psycho for wearing a mask.

I have seen so many sniffly and sick people out and about recently and not a single one had a mask. It's like everyone just said fuck it, forgot about the pandemic and just went back to no masks and looking at masked people like they're crazy

[-] Drusas@kbin.social 22 points 6 months ago

I'm so glad I live in the Seattle area. Plenty of people still wear masks.

[-] Alwaysfallingupyup@lemmy.world 10 points 6 months ago

for robberies doesn't count. lol

[-] Zaderade@lemmy.world 7 points 6 months ago

Why are you being down voted I had a chuckle. C'mon

[-] Tikiporch@lemmy.world 5 points 6 months ago

Fret not. Votes don't matter, this is not reddit!

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[-] BigBenis@lemmy.world 18 points 6 months ago

I moved to Portland over a year ago and I'd say about 25% of people at the grocery stores here are still wearing masks to this day and nobody makes a fuss about it. It's been great.

[-] hansl@lemmy.world 14 points 6 months ago

The good news is that it’s likely you didn’t get COVID from that guy. Gestation period is on average 5 days.

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[-] SoleInvictus@lemmy.world 14 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

A significant portion of the population still believes masks don't work because their favorite talking heads told them they don't.

I made the mistake of going back to Reddit ONCE and got in an argument with an alleged "MPH" (master of public health) who was adamant masks don't work, despite the overwhelming evidence they do. He ended up threatening to stab me with an icepick. Multiple times across various, unrelated threads. Reddit actually banned him.

These motherfuckers are out there and they're some combination of stupid and crazy.

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[-] Bishma@discuss.tchncs.de 49 points 6 months ago

Its almost like the government told us we were on our own to stay safe, then stopped funding the tracking, testing, and reporting that would let us do so.

[-] KevonLooney@lemm.ee 6 points 6 months ago

You can get free tests from the US Government. They still report on it.

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[-] dan1101@lemm.ee 37 points 6 months ago

Christmas gatherings will really get it going.

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this post was submitted on 19 Dec 2023
296 points (98.4% liked)

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