KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Doctors at the East Tennessee Children's Hospital said the number of cases they see of RSV and the flu is continuing to ebb and flow. They said that the number of flu cases is still high.
"I still would encourage people to get their flu vaccine. It is still effective because it can be a long season,” said Shannon Cohen, who works with ETCH.
Hospital shows that over the past few weeks, flu cases dropped from 175 to 122, but the number of RSV cases rose from 30 to 45. After Christmas, they said they expect to see even high numbers and busier days, as families gather together and possibly spread illnesses.
"Generally, more people come together over Christmas than over Thanksgiving. We're expecting to become even busier,” said Dr. Cohen.
They also said another sickness is starting to infect people across the U.S. — strep throat. They said cases of strep throat can arrive at any time of the year, but they have seen a few be reported recently.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also said that strep throat is spreading at higher rates than usual. They said it is spread from person to person and is usually transmitted through droplets in the air. Its incubation period is between two and five days, they said.
"Strep is an illness that we like to treat with an antibiotic. It is a bacterial infection," said Cohen.
Despite the rise in the number of cases, Dr. Cohen also said that the hospital is still fully staffed and is able to meet the needs of patients.
"We also have people on the call," she said. "We have not had a problem taking care of the children here in the hospital."