Penn expert explains this winter’s ‘triple threat’ of respiratory viruses

A “triple threat” of seasonal illnesses has surfaced earlier and with more intensity than usual around Philadelphia and nationally.

The Inquirer discussed what’s going on — and steps people can take to protect themselves — with a leading Penn infectious disease expert.

Stephen Gluckman, medical director at Penn Global Medicine and professor of infectious diseases at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, highlighted the latest trends involving COVID-19, RSV, and flu in a recorded Inquirer Live session last week focused on the region’s winter health concerns.

Unlike in the past two winters, Gluckman said, COVID-19 no longer represents a health emergency — for people who are vaccinated.

Vaccinated people can catch COVID, “but you’re not going to die of it,” he said. “The COVID vaccine is a superb vaccine.”

» READ MORE: Flu and cold season looks different because of the pandemic. Here are some tips to protect kids from viruses this winter.

Gluckman said he still masks in some settings, like a busy theater, or on a plane, and people can make their own decisions about mask wearing. Vaccination remains the most reliable way to ensure a COVID infection didn’t become serious, he noted.

COVID diagnoses at Penn Medicine have been largely flat for the past month, Gluckman said, and he expects it to stay that way. A new variant could emerge, but so far widespread vaccination and immunity gained from prior infections are keeping the virus from spiking as seen in previous winters.

Flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are another story, though. Respiratory infections nationwide are spiking earlier and more rapidly this year than typical. RSV is an annoyance for adults, Gluckman said, but can cause serious illness in children.

The region’s hospitals have reported emergency room waits of hours for children in respiratory distress, possibly because young children who experienced limited social interactions over the past two years were being exposed to the virus for the first time.

» READ MORE: As respiratory virus cases surge among kids in Philly region, children’s hospitals filling up with ‘young babies that are struggling to breathe’

Flu is particularly hazardous for young children and older adults, and Gluckman has seen flu cases increase tenfold in a matter of four weeks at Penn Medicine.

Typically, Gluckman said, the worst of flu season spans six to eight weeks. Because flu infections began spiking in late October and early November this year, rather than later in the winter, he urged people to get vaccinated. The flu vaccine, much like the shots for COVID, take about two weeks to reach their full effectiveness.

“People who haven’t been vaccinated should get it, like, now,” Gluckman said.