If everyone seems to be feeling unwell right now, it’s not just in your head. More than a dozen U.S. states are experiencing higher-than-normal infection rates this winter, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Of course, COVID-19 infections are on the rise again, another indicator that the pandemic is not truly over.Recent CDC data The number of people hospitalized with coronavirus infections has increased by 17% compared to last week, and the number of deaths has increased by 25%. However, in addition to the number of people infected with pneumonia and influenza, the number of people infected with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is also increasing. There’s a lot going on right now, and a lot of people are wondering, “Is this normal?”
Similar to the children’s urban legend that more children will get sick after the pandemic, a similar idea is circulating that more people will get sick in the post-pandemic winter. In July 2023, the CDC estimated that 77.5% of the U.S. population had antibodies against at least one coronavirus infection, meaning only 1 in 4 people had not yet been infected. .
As Salon previously reported, severe cases of the coronavirus can cause an exaggerated inflammatory response called a “cytokine storm,” which can be so intense that run out of T cells and reduce their number. Recent evidence suggests that this may affect the immune system in fighting future infections, both COVID-19 and other diseases.
Until now, experts have acknowledged the impact of the measures the country has taken to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Social distancing, mask-wearing, and school closures have not only been effective against the coronavirus, but have also helped protect people from other respiratory viruses, such as influenza.In fact, the number of people infected with influenza has reached an all-time high. low In the 2020-2021 season. The number of children in pediatric intensive care units with bronchiolitis and pneumonia also fell sharply between April and June 2020. It looks like the virus is back with a vengeance. But is it possible that COVID-19 is making us more vulnerable to other diseases and to COVID-19?
Viruses such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus are beginning to spread earlier than in the pre-pandemic winter and are therefore recognized as having increased prevalence.
“COVID-19 is a risk factor for respiratory syncytial virus and respiratory disease,” Dr. Rajendram Rajnarayanan of the New York Institute of Technology campus in Jonesboro, Arkansas, told Salon in October of last year. He pointed to a study published in the journal Community Health. .The study found that children under the age of 5 could be affected by a previous coronavirus infection. more vulnerable to RSV.
However, Rajanarayanan said the exact mechanism behind this relationship has yet to be determined. “We need to invest more money to investigate what is going on.”
He emphasized that this is just one study involving children. However, another study of adults found that they were infected with COVID-19. May be a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.a Previous novel coronavirus infection People over 50 are at increased risk of getting herpes. Due to the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19), causes the development of high blood pressure.
“These are diseases that coexist with other diseases,” Rajnarayanan says. “And in a way, it sets you up for failure next season.”
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In the 2010s leading up to the pandemic, influenza hospitalizations ranged from 12,000 to 12,000 each year. 710,000 people. Looking more closely, Deaths from influenza and pneumonia The winter of 2022-2023 was higher than the winter of 2019-2020, right after the coronavirus outbreak. The CDC estimates that at least 26,000 people have been infected this year, based on data from early December. 1,600 people hospitalized and killed by influenza So far this season.
Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told Salon that in addition to the common cold virus circulating, the region is seeing an increase in hospitalizations for influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus. . But it’s hard to say whether what we’re seeing after the pandemic is more people getting sick. Rather, he theorized, what is happening now is that viruses such as influenza and RSV are starting to spread earlier than they did in pre-pandemic winters, and are therefore being perceived as having increased prevalence. .
“What happened last year, and to some extent this year as well, is that both influenza and respiratory syncytial virus emerged early,” Schaffner said. “And some of that may be related to coming out of COVID-19, because the virus has new opportunities to spread.”
When a person gets the flu, the immune system is further weakened, making it harder for the body to fight other infections and diseases.
Schaffner does not believe that when a healthy person is infected with COVID-19, their immune system is automatically “stimulated” or “impaired,” making them more susceptible to other respiratory viruses. He said no. But he noted that people who have had COVID-19 for a long time appear to have chronic inflammatory responses and changes in their immune systems. This could make them more susceptible to other respiratory illnesses, he said.
“But for the average person, someone who has recovered from COVID-19, there doesn’t seem to be any change in their immune system,” he says. “They respond normally to other infections and other vaccines. It does not appear that the coronavirus makes them more susceptible to further viral infections.”
Rather, the problem is that there are “many viruses circulating at the same time” and this wreaks havoc on people’s immune systems as people have to work hard to fight multiple viruses circulating across the country. This means that it may be causing this.
Dr. T. Ryan Gregory, an evolutionary and genome biologist at the University of Guelph in Canada, told Salon: Influenza and new coronavirus infectionwhich is more detrimental to a person’s immune system than a single infection.
“Recent COVID-19 infections may provide temporary immunity against reinfection with subsequent COVID-19 infections,” he added. “But like many other viruses, it may leave people susceptible to secondary infections for some time.”
Despite the popular belief that a lack of exposure to pathogens weakens the immune system, which suggests that regular exposure to viruses is good for the human immune system, experts say this is not the case. There is. The immune system is much more complex. For example, when a person gets the flu, the immune system becomes further weakened, making it harder for the body to fight other infections and diseases.
“At least when you add a third virus; [COVID-19] Infecting it with influenza or RSV increases the chance of co-infection, making the situation even worse,” Gregory said. “It may also increase the severity of infections caused by other viruses in people who have recently recovered from other viruses.”
The good news is that there is a vaccine that protects against all three prevalent viruses (COVID-19, influenza, and RSV) for people over 60.
“Our vaccines are underutilized this season,” Schaffner said. “It’s never too late to get vaccinated, but it’s also never too late to protect yourself from December into the new year.”