SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

The U.S. is in full-on respiratory virus season. A lot of the nation is experiencing excessive or very excessive respiratory virus ranges, in accordance with the facilities for Illness Management and Prevention. NPR well being correspondent Pien Huang joins us. Pien, thanks a lot for being with us.

PIEN HUANG, BYLINE: Thanks for having me.

SIMON: (Imitating coughing) Excuse me. What’s on the market?

HUANG: Effectively, there’s a lot – a whole lot of virus on the market, Scott. We’re, as you talked about, within the thick of winter respiratory virus season. So there’s RSV. There’s flu. There’s COVID. There’s widespread chilly viruses. And so they all get a lift through the holidays when folks journey and collect. I talked to Amy Kirby, who runs the Nationwide Wastewater Surveillance program at CDC, and he or she says, if you happen to have a look at the wastewater information, COVID ranges proper now are even increased than they had been final season. However nonetheless, she says…

AMY KIRBY: We’re nonetheless very far under the degrees that we had been seeing in 2022 with the omicron peak. So we’re not that form of, you already know, actually huge wave of infections. That is far more on par with what we noticed final 12 months.

HUANG: And regardless that the extent of COVID is increased than it was final 12 months at the moment, different COVID metrics, like ER visits and hospitalization charges, these are decrease this 12 months, the CDC says.

SIMON: Does that imply we’re altering what I am going to seek advice from as our relationship with COVID?

HUANG: In some senses, sure. I imply, what it means proper now’s that COVID infections are inflicting critical illness much less typically than they did in earlier years. However COVID nonetheless is probably the most critical virus proper now. Final week, as an example, it put 35,000 new folks within the hospital. At the least 1,200 folks died from it. And that’s much more than flu. Up to now this season, hospital capability has been usually steady, which is nice information as a result of that signifies that individuals who want care can usually get it.

SIMON: What in regards to the new COVID variants although?

HUANG: OK. So the dominant variant proper now’s one known as JN.1 Right here within the U.S., it was first detected in September, and by Thanksgiving it was liable for round 8% of U.S. circumstances. Now it is as much as 60%. And JN.1 is taken into account an omicron variant, although there’s been some debate over whether or not it deserves its personal Greek letter because it has a whole lot of genetic variations. However the signs are about the identical. And the exams, the vaccines and the therapies that we presently have do work in opposition to it.

SIMON: What ought to folks be doing now, given all of this?

HUANG: Effectively, public well being officers are actually leaning into encouraging folks to make use of the instruments now we have. In order that begins with consciousness. You recognize, there are maps that the CDC and native well being departments are placing out that may assist folks determine how a lot virus is circulating the place they reside, and it isn’t too late to get vaccinated. You recognize, half of us adults haven’t gotten a flu shot this season. 4 out of 5 have not gotten the COVID booster. And that is particularly necessary for older adults who’re at increased threat of dying from these sicknesses. And lastly, if you’re sick, like lots of people are proper now, the recommendation is to remain residence so you do not unfold it on. Get examined in case you qualify for some prescription drugs that may make it easier to get higher, and to usually simply take excellent care of your self and the folks round you’re.

SIMON: Thanks very a lot. NPR well being correspondent Pien Huang.

HUANG: You are welcome, Scott.

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