Santa Clara County sees increases in RSV, influenza and COVID-19 – NBC Bay Area

Santa Clara County has seen a sharp increase in influenza-like illnesses and emergency room visits, leading health officials to urge residents to get vaccinated.

County data this month focusing on local wastewater readings shows an increase in RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), as well as influenza and COVID-19.

RSV concentrations in wastewater nearly doubled in Gilroy, Palo Alto and Sunnyvale last week and in San Jose last month, according to the county’s Department of Public Health.

Data shows the number of people hospitalized with RSV countywide in the past two weeks is roughly three times what it was in mid-October, prompting a countywide push to get residents vaccinated.

Sarah Rudman, deputy health director for the Santa Clara County Department of Public Health, said RSV readings in wastewater are higher than this time last year, and COVID-19 readings in wastewater have spiked in the past few weeks.

“Typically when we see something like this, there’s a group of people with more severe disease who end up in the emergency room,” Ruderman told San Jose Spotlight.

These illnesses usually begin in November and last until March or April. In Santa Clara County, 88.6% of residents have completed the primary COVID-19 vaccine series, but only 35.4% have received the newer bivalent booster vaccine.

Respiratory syncytial virus can cause serious and life-threatening illness in young children and the elderly, Ruderman said.

“The simultaneous rise in RSV, COVID-19 and flu levels is concerning,” he said, adding that this is especially concerning during the holidays when people travel and gather with vulnerable family members. “That’s why we all need to be extra careful … and take steps to protect ourselves and our loved ones.”

Residents can get vaccinated through a doctor or pharmacy and can register online. People without insurance can get the vaccine for free, Ruderman said. She recommends people get both the COVID-19 and flu vaccines, and the RSV vaccine for those who are eligible.

The RSV vaccine became available this summer and is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in people 60 years of age or older or in the 32nd to 36th week of pregnancy. Ruderman said high-risk infants can be given additional vaccines after birth if their mothers are not vaccinated, but demand for these vaccines outstrips supply.

“We really want to encourage pregnant women to get vaccinated later in pregnancy to provide extra protection for the baby,” she said.

Iris Colon, a maternal-fetal medicine physician and obstetrician-gynecologist at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, said RSV usually causes mild cold-like symptoms but can cause pneumonia or bronchiolitis in babies. Colon said the RSV vaccine is given later in pregnancy because it may cause a slight increase in preterm birth rates. He said the vaccine is considered safe and the data was obtained from pregnant women.

“Most of us are going to be able to fight this infection in seven days or less,” Colon told San Jose Spotlight. “The problem is when RSV infects infants … or people over 60. Those are the populations that get severe disease.” The risk of disease is higher. RSV is the number one cause of hospitalization in babies during their first year of life.”

Rudman said residents should self-isolate if they are sick, cover their mouths and noses when coughing, wash their hands with soap and get tested for COVID-19 if they have symptoms. In Santa Clara County, masks are only required in health care settings, but people who are vulnerable to severe illness could benefit from wearing masks indoors or in crowds, he said.

“When sewage levels are this high, we especially recommend wearing masks indoors and in crowded places,” he said.