DAYTON, Ohio — COVID, respiratory syncytial virus and the flu are being called the “tripledemic” by health professionals.
The three respiratory illnesses are now spreading in high numbers and hospitals are struggling to keep up.
“Over the last two weeks or so, just an increase in the number of patients that are coming into the hospital, particularly into our E.R. with a litany of respiratory illnesses,” said Dr. Roberto Colon, chief medical officer at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton.
Dr. Colon said COVID cases are going up on top of two other viruses that he said haven’t gone up significantly in years.
“The last two years we saw very little in the form of influenza and RSV was much more reduced up until last year as well as we started interacting more without our masks, we saw that there’s a resurgence of these illnesses coming back out again,” said Dr. Colon.
The spread of the flu and RSV on top of COVID is going far beyond Miami Valley Hospital. The illnesses are leaving little space in hospitals across the region.
According to The Health Collaborative, beds at hospitals across the greater Cincinnati area are now 99% full.
Back at Miami Valley Hospital, Colon said they still have enough space there, but some cases can be treated outside of the hospital.
“We’re not gonna refuse care because someone is quote unquote, not sick enough. We are absolutely going to be able to evaluate. but we also know that when too many people are going to emergency departments for care, that is not urgent, what it can do is slow down the process for everybody,” said Colon.
The case numbers and bed space at hospitals change frequently, but Colon said they still have enough room to handle another influx at Miami Valley Hospital, and so far he says they’ve been able to keep up.
“We’ve been able to keep up with the operations, and that’s because a lot of the illnesses that we’re seeing with flu, COVID, or RSV are still predominantly in the outpatient,” said Colon.
He said most cases can be treated through your primary care doctor or urgent care, but if you are experiencing severe symptoms or underlying conditions, go to the emergency room.
Colon said in the past couple of weeks they’re seeing more severe COVID in older patients, RSV spreading more rapidly in children and the flu in a wide age range of patients.
