ABC 7: RSV, Flu, COVID | Doctors Concerned Over Possibility of ‘Tripledemic’ Worsening—Here’s What to Know
ABC 7 recently interviewed Michael Ben-Aderet, MD, associate medical director of Hospital Epidemiology at Cedars-Sinai, about increasing cases of the flu, RSV and COVID-19 in Los Angeles County, and how to avoid getting sick.
"Right now in the community, we're seeing really high levels of viruses," Ben-Aderet told ABC 7, adding that the “tripledemic” of COVID-19, flu and RSV won’t wane anytime soon. He also advised how to best seek medical treatment for those who fall ill.
“If you’re not critically ill, you probably shouldn’t be coming to the ER,” he told ABC 7. “You should utilize urgent cares, telehealth visits with your physician or a regular [visit] with your primary care physician. We really should try to keep the ER for critically ill patients.”
Even though we’re already in the thick of a bad respiratory virus season, Ben-Aderet advised viewers that it’s not too late to get vaccinated.
“So get your flu shot,” Ben-Aderet told ABC 7. “Get your COVID vaccine, get your booster if you’re eligible. That’s super important and that’s going to help prevent illness, prevent transmission and also prevent hospitalization, especially in the most vulnerable people.”
Ben-Aderet also encouraged masking in crowded places to help slow the spread of the viruses.
“A crowded bus or a crowded airplane, places where you’re going to be around strangers … You don’t know these people,” he told ABC 7. “You don’t know who is sick and who isn’t. It’s a good opportunity to wear a mask.”
Click here to watch the complete segment from ABC 7.