NEW ORLEANS — Not vaccinated yet? There’s still time before we get too deep into the holiday season.
That was the message Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Mandy Cohen brought to New Orleans.
On Monday, Dr. Cohen toured the Crescent Care family clinic in the St. Roch neighborhood with Louisiana’s top medical officer Dr. Joe Kantor, and New Orleans Health Director Dr. Jennifer Avengo. They echoed her call for people to get vaccinated against the flu, COVID and RSV.
MURPHY: What are we currently seeing in Louisiana?
COHEN: We’re already seeing a lot of flu here in the New Orleans area and around Louisiana. We want folks to make sure they’re getting their flu shot, but also don’t forget COVID is still with us and unfortunately, we’ve seen 150 folks die here in the last three months in Louisiana.
KANTOR: Right now, in Louisiana, 10 percent of every ER visit is someone with a respiratory virus. Well, over half of those are flu. It’s out there. It’s going to continue to grow coming out of the Thanksgiving holiday.
AVEGNO: We’re definitely seeing cases of Covid and RSV and the flu is really starting to take off. Just looking at the data this morning where it’s taking off the fastest is in our young people, our kids under 18. Remember, when kids get the flu, that means learning loss, which means they can spread it to other members of the household, and they can get really sick.
MURPHY: Should I get the vaccine if I’ve had the flu or COVID?
COHEN: You want to get these updated vaccines because the virus has changed since last year. You want to have the updated protection. I know folks are saying I’ve had COVID, I’ve had the flu before, but remember your protection decreases over time. What the vaccine does is prevent the worst of what these viruses could do which is make you very sick, send you to the hospital, or take your life.
MURPHY: How does Louisiana compare to the national average for the number of flu cases?
KANTOR: On an average year we lose about 500 to 1000 people to flu, fatalities in Louisiana. This is shaping up to be an average year, unfortunately. Typically, we exceed the national average for flu rates. That’s where we find ourselves, right now. We know we typically have a bump after a big holiday like Thanksgiving where people gather and travel. So, we can expect rates to continue to rise.
AVEGNO: We have an awful lot of opportunities for respiratory viruses to spread, starting around this time. We’re very communal, very social, there’s a lot of activities that people do during the holidays and then it just rolls right into the Carnival season. That overlap with the height of winter respiratory virus season means we’re always going to be at risk.
MURPHY: What should you do if you feel sick?
COHEN: Getting tested is super important. You’ve got to know what you have so you can get treatment. We have treatment for the flu. We have treatment for COVID-19. Those treatments could save your life.
MURPHY: Any other advice on staying healthy this holiday season?
COHEN: I know it’s hard during the holiday season, but please stay home if you are sick. Don’t forget about the other things we’ve all learned over the course of the pandemic emergency, washing your hands, wearing a mask, opening up that window, gathering outside, all of those things add layers of protection as we’re getting into the holiday season.
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