COVID and flu on the rise in California

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Health officials say respiratory infections are on the rise across the state. COVID-19, RSV and the flu are being called a triple threat this winter and people should take precautions to stay healthy.  

The numbers are not nearly as high as they’ve been over the last three years, but health experts say they’re noticing an increase, and people need to remember that these viruses are still out there.  

"The difference between now and four years ago, is another respiratory virus has joined the mix of influenza, RSV and now COVID," said Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease expert at UCSF. 

According to the California Department of Public Health, respiratory infections are trending up, with a 4.8% increase in hospital admissions for COVID-19 in the last week. At the same time, hospital admissions for flu cases have risen 18.8%. 

"Of all three of those infections, the flu is actually the one that I’m looking at the most. COVID has started to rise, but it’s really been influenza that’s had an uptick in the last two weeks," Gandhi said. 

Gandhi says cases of RSV or respiratory syncytial virus have also been detected but so far, not as much as it was last year. She says older people tend to be more at risk of being infected.   

"This year is very unique. We have an RSV vaccine for people who are 60 years and older. That’s incredibly important, and we’ve never had that before," said Gandhi.

Nationally, Gandhi says about 50,000 people die from influenza infections each year and now COVID-19 has reached that same milestone.  

"So unfortunately, it’s likely true that COVID is joining influenza to cause that number of deaths per year, but it is mostly in older people. Our rate of COVID booster vaccination is about 7% across the board and only 14% in older people," Gandhi said.   

Health officials are encouraging people 65 and older to get COVID and flu vaccinations because they’re most at risk and more likely to have severe symptoms if infected.