FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Pediatricians around the country have been on the lookout for fevers, coughs, and sore throats as patients face more risks during this flu season.
Dr. Joshua Lenchus, the chief medical officer of Broward Health, said his team is “sort of on alert” as several respiratory illnesses are circulating simultaneously.
The latest list includes the respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV; the parainfluenza virus, or HPIV; and the metapneumovirus, or HMPV.
This is all while the respiratory adenoviruses, the coronaviruses, the rotavirus, and the norovirus are also a threat.
There was an early increase in seasonal influenza activity over the week ending Nov. 5, and the southeastern states were reporting the highest levels of activity in the country, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Florida’s latest positivity rate for flu was increasing in Broward County, according to the Florida Department of Health’s latest report. The rate was not changing in Miami-Dade County.
Lenchus encouraged residents to take aggressive steps to protect themselves — including getting both the influenza vaccine and the COVID-19 booster.
Other preventive measures include hand washing, wiping down frequently touched surfaces, and wearing a face mask when indoors.
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Afternoon report