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Reading Hospital in Pennsylvania is experiencing a significant increase in illnesses following the holiday season. The hospital has reported a rise in cases of flu, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) since the start of the new year. In response to the surge, hospital officials have opened additional beds to accommodate the growing number of patients.
Dr. Debra Powell, chief of infectious diseases at Reading Hospital, described the situation as a "triple-demic," with all three illnesses spreading rapidly. She noted that the hospital is seeing between 20 to 30 cases of each illness at any given time, which is slightly higher than previous years. "We had a couple of really busy days in the hospital with a lot of people in the waiting room and the emergency department," Powell said.
Health officials are urging residents to practice good hygiene, stay home if they are sick, and get vaccinated to prevent severe infections. The illnesses are particularly affecting the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to monitor respiratory illness activity and expects the fall and winter virus season to have similar or lower peak hospitalizations compared to last year, but still higher than pre-COVID-19 levels.