Our Current “Quad-demic:”: Updates On The Four Major Viruses Circulating The Country Right Now
Our Current “Quad-demic:”: Updates On The Four Major Viruses Circulating The Country Right Now
January 22, 2025
So here we are in the middle of winter and it’s likely you know at least one person who’s currently sick. There are a significant number of viruses in circulation around the country right now, so it’s not just your subjective experience. According to the CDC Respiratory Illnesses Data Channel, “The amount of acute respiratory illness causing people to seek healthcare is at a high level.” If you want to know viral levels of COVID, flu, or RSV in your specific community, click here. And beyond these now-familiar viruses, there has also been an uptick in the levels of norovirus around the country, and the beginning worries about the appearance of avian influenza (bird flu) that has largely been in birds and animals but is beginning to show up in humans as well. In fact, experts are calling this moment the “Quad-Demic” because of the high levels of these 4 circulating viruses. We are apparently at peak flu infection right now, and the number of norovirus outbreaks was at a record high in early December. Significant levels of COVID were also appearing in wastewater systems across the country in early January. In fact, it’s been reported that COVID continues to cause more hospitalizations and deaths than flu or RSV. Beyond the usual coughs and colds of winter, these viruses are placing a significant burden on our healthcare system.
COVID has killed more than 7 million people in the five years it’s been around, including 1.2 million Americans. While it’s not the lethal scourge it was at the beginning of the pandemic, people continue to become infected and those who are older or immune-compromised continue to be at risk for more serious illness. Experts continue to recommend yearly COVID booster vaccines, especially for those in at-risk categories. Even though we are at peak season for flu and COVID, it’s still not too late to get a vaccine for each of them to protect yourself and your loved ones for the many weeks left of this viral season. A vaccine is also in the works for norovirus, which is the leading cause of foodborne illness in this country and can wreak havoc with your gastrointestinal system.
The wildcard beyond this “quad-demic” of flu, COVID, RSV, and norovirus is the situation with Avian Influenza or bird flu. Here’s what we currently know: Bird Flu is currently spreading among birds, cows, and other mammals in the United States. It is another influenza virus (H5N1). It has also been found in humans who have direct contact with poultry or dairy cows, but so far human-to-human contact has been very rare. In humans, the symptoms include pink eye, fever, fatigue, cough, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, stuffy nose, etc. Humans can contract the virus by coming into contact with the bodily fluid from an infected bird or animal, but if you properly cook your poultry or eggs, and drink pasteurized (NOT raw) milk, you should be safe. Right now, the best way to protect yourself is to take measures such as refrigerating and cooking your poultry, meat, and eggs appropriately, get yourself a regular influenza vaccine, make sure your pets are protected and are not ingesting any raw food or dead birds they encounter, avoid contact with wild or sick birds and livestock, and frequently wash your hands.
While the symptoms to date have been mostly mild in humans who have been infected, there is one patient who contracted Bird Flu in Louisiana who had a mutated form of the virus circulating in him, which is a worrisome sign, and the patient died. In fact, house cats who are becoming infected are experiencing serious infections and high mortality rates. As one expert made clear, ”H5N1 is a very dynamic virus. There are lots of versions of it circulating in lots of different animals and birds, and it’s continuing to pose a greater and greater threat in terms of spillover and leading to a pandemic.” There is currently sustained mammal-to-mammal transmission of the virus, so human-to-human transmission is possible. If that were to be the case, we would have a serious public health event on our hands. For more on protecting yourself with knowledge and expert recommendations, grab some soap and read here.