Covid and flu hospitalizations increase as holidays approach, while RSV retreats in some states

Key Facts

• Public health officials have said many people are probably more vulnerable to flu and RSV this year because they weren’t infected the past two years, which means their immunity is lower.
• CNBC HEALTH & SCIENCE Read CNBC’s latest global health coverage: Covid and flu hospitalizations are increasing across the U.S. while RSV is retreating in some states Children as young as 6 months old are now eligible for omicron Covid vaccines Omicron subvariants that more easily dodge immunity are causing more than 70% of U.S. infections House to vote on repeal of Pentagon’s Covid vaccine mandate for U.S. troops Omicron boosters are weaker against BQ.1.1 subvariant that is rising in U.S., study finds CDC encourages people to wear masks to help prevent spread of Covid, flu and RSV over the holidays FDA pulls Covid antibody treatment because it’s not effective against dominant omicron variants Fauci says China has done a bad job vaccinating the elderly and their shots are not very effective against Covid CDC will test sewage for polio outside New York to see if it’s circulating elsewhere in nation Drug overdose deaths among seniors have more than tripled in two decades The hospitalization rate for the flu remains at the highest level for this time of year in a decade, according to the CDC.
• As respiratory illnesses surge, about 80% of hospital beds are currently occupied in the U.S., according to data from the Health and Human Services Department.
• Children’s hospitals in November called on the Biden administration to declare a public health emergency in response to surging rates of RSV and flu admissions.

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