Respiratory illnesses are on the rise across the country and New Mexico is no different. Doctors and clinics are reporting an increase in cases of RSV, the flu, COVID, and colds. In many cases, people are also suffering from multiple viruses.
“Absolutely there are more people co-infected now simply because there’s more of each of these viruses circulating around in the community,” Presbyterian Children’s Program Director Dr. John Pederson told KRQE.
The majority of infections are children with RSV with hospitals reporting some of the highest numbers of cases in years, according to the KRQE report. While there isn’t a large number of co-infections among children, many adult patients are positive for more than one virus. Doctors say it’s difficult for the body to defend against so many viruses at once.
“There is certainly evidence to suggest that when you are infected with one respiratory virus more susceptible to get another respiratory virus, which is why we are seeing these co-infections,” Dr. Pederson said.
Some patients reported they’ve never felt so ill before, but it’s not clear whether there is a more severe strain of a virus or just exhausted immune systems causing the severity of sickness.
Those feeling ill are advised to manage their symptoms at home if possible. If shortness of breath or dehydration is present, a doctor should be contacted.