COVID, flu, and RSV: Here’s where respiratory virus season stands in North Texas

November is here, and so are coughs, colds, stomach bugs and more. Respiratory virus season is off to a relatively mild start in Texas, with the exception of respiratory syncytial virus, which is on the rise.

Overall, the percentage of people seeking medical care for a respiratory illness is lower than it was this time last year, according to national data. Local and state data have shown an increase in viruses that cause common colds.

Here’s what you need to know about common illnesses as the weather gets colder.

RSV is on the rise

Respiratory syncytial virus is on the rise in Texas and throughout the U.S., according to state and federal data.

Most people get infected with RSV at multiple points throughout their lives, and for most healthy adults, the virus results in cold-like symptoms.

But for children younger than 5 and adults older than 65, RSV can cause serious illness and death. The virus is the leading cause of hospitalization in American infants, and causes at least 58,000 hospitalizations for children younger than 5 in a typical year. For adults 65 and older, RSV causes 60,000 hospitalizations in a typical year in the U.S.

RSV cases are increasing in Tarrant County, although they aren’t quite as high as they were this time last year, according to Tarrant County Public Health’s respiratory virus data. By the end of October last year, RSV-like illness accounted for about 1.7% of emergency room visits in the county. This year, RSV-like illness made up about 1.3% of ER visits as of Oct. 28.

There is some good news.

First, the U.S. CDC said it expects RSV to return to “normal season patterns” after an unusually severe season last year. The CDC said that the severity of last year’s season “likely elevated population immunity” to levels from before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also, doctors finally have tools they can use to help prevent and treat serious illness caused by RSV. For decades, there was no vaccine or treatment meant specifically for RSV. But this year, there are vaccines available for adults 60 and older, a vaccine for pregnant mothers that can protect their newborns, and a monoclonal antibody treatment that can be given to infants directly.

Influenza-like illness in Texas

Although the flu is increased slightly throughout the state, overall levels are still “minimal,” according to health officials. Doctor’s offices and hospitals haven’t yet seen a major increase in flu cases in Texas.

No children have died from influenza so far this year, according to the CDC. Last year, 179 children in the U.S. died as a result of the flu.

Public health officials recommend getting a seasonal flu vaccine to reduce your risk of getting seriously ill from the flu. The vaccine can also be life-saving in children, and reduce their risk of severe complications, according to the CDC.

COVID-19 is still here

In the last full week of October, there was a rolling average of 1,040 Texans hospitalized with COVID-19 throughout the state, a small increase from the year before, according to the state.

COVID-19 levels throughout the country appear to have plateaued for the moment, and are nowhere near the record-breaking numbers of January 2021, when 14,000 people were hospitalized with the virus.

But although COVID hospitalizations have plateaued, Texans are still dying from the disease. The state reported 45 COVID-associated deaths from Oct. 22 and Oct. 28.

As with the flu vaccine, public health officials recommend getting the latest COVID vaccine to protect you against the type of coronavirus that is circulating in the U.S.