ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — No one wants to spend their Christmas break in urgent care or emergency department waiting rooms, but that is what many St. Louisans have done.
"We are seeing three different viruses quite frequently going around," Mercy St. Louis Department of Medicine Chair, Dr. Farrin Manian said. "We have COVID. We have RSV, as well as, influenza. They are all cocirculating in the community right now."
Manian said people can be sick with multiple viruses at the same time and "unfortunately, many of those patients can be even more severely ill because they're trying to fight two different viruses."
He said elderly and immunocompromised patients are at greater risk of hospitalization by viruses.
There is a concern that by going to the doctor and being around others, people can get another bug.
Manian said that there is always a risk.
"You always have to look at benefits and the risks. I think the risk is still very low. If you have a reason to see a physician, that reason is usually of greater importance than the risk of getting something when you go see them," he added.
If someone is on the fence about going to see a doctor, Manian recommended the following:
- you are unable to keep anything down.
- have persistent fevers.
- are experiencing shortness of breath.
Dr. Manian also recommended wearing a mask in crowded public spaces to avoid getting sick and practicing good hand hygiene.