Fayetteville, North Carolina — In the season of spreading holiday cheer, experts say we’re spreading more.
Our healthcare system is being tested again. This time, three diseases are behind it.
The flu is raging, with cases nationwide more than 12 times higher than this time last year. There are also concerns about RSV.
And another virus that we have been fighting for years.
“COVID is still in the background, but it’s not gone,” said Dr. Jose Cabanas.
Dr. Cabanas is Wake County’s Chief Medical Officer. He worries that all these diseases together could overwhelm our healthcare system, from EMS to emergency rooms.
“If there are capacity issues in the healthcare delivery system, the priority is to ensure that more serious life-threatening emergencies are handled more quickly,” said Cabanas.
For other medical issues, wait times may be longer.
The rapid spread has resulted, health experts say, as many of us loosened the precautions we had previously taken against COVID and started gathering again.
But Cabanas said there are things you can do to protect yourself.
“Make sure you get your flu shot and are aware of your contacts,” Cabanas said. Make sure to get your covid booster shots. ”
The same advice comes from the White House.
“The most important thing you can do to prepare for the holidays is to get the latest covid vaccine,” said First Lady Jill Biden.
Another way to ease your local healthcare system is to go to a hospital’s emergency department if you’re at high risk or have symptoms that concern you. Other visits may be handled by your primary care physician.
