'No joke': Mass. doctors urge vaccination as COVID, flu rates rise

Winter respiratory virus season is upon us.

Flu, COVID and other respiratory viruses are on the upswing. Flu severity is high, according to Massachusetts health officials, while COVID rates have shot up from previously low levels.

The level of coronavirus in Boston-area wastewater also soared up in recent weeks, but now seems to be moderating.

Doctors attribute the increases to a combination of factors, including holiday gatherings, a new COVID variant and seasonal virus transmission patterns.

The rise in respiratory illness is adding pressure to an already busy health care system. But so far, it has been less severe than in previous pandemic winters. Instead, doctors said, this virus season appears to be more typical.

“We are seeing an uptick in respiratory infections,” said Dr. Ruanne Barnabas, chief of infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital. “The number of people coming to the emergency room with respiratory infections is high,” almost doubling over the past six months.

COVID hospitalizations, too, have increased, but they remain below the levels of previous years.

“COVID is evolving,” Barnabas said. “It is still present among us, but it is resulting in less severe disease. A combination of vaccination and natural immunity means that people are better able to fight COVID, and the virus itself is evolving.”

A third virus, RSV, which can be severe for older adults and young children, seems to be receding, according to doctors and state data.

There are vaccines for all three of these common viruses, but vaccination rates have lagged, which could be contributing to the spread of illness.

That’s frustrating for physicians and public health officials, who say vaccinations are critical for preventing severe disease and death, even if they don’t completely prevent infections.

“It's a little disappointing to see that the uptake has not been as high as we would have hoped,” said Dr. Sabrina Assoumou, infectious disease physician at Boston Medical Center.

About 1 in 5 Massachusetts residents have received a recent COVID shot, while 1 in 3 have received their flu shots, according to state data.

“We really hope that more people will get vaccinated,” Assoumou said. “It’s not too late.”

The COVID vaccine was updated last September to better match newer strains of the virus, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended new shots for everyone 6 months and older. But Assoumou said many people seem to be unaware of the updated vaccine.

Others simply may be tired of COVID and tired of getting shots.

The flu vaccine is also recommended for almost everyone 6 months and older, while RSV immunizations are available for older adults, pregnant people and babies at higher risk of illness.

Assoumou said people at higher risk of illness, including those who are older or have existing medical conditions, should consider wearing masks during virus season.

Many Massachusetts hospitals also have returned to more frequent masking for staff, and are encouraging masks for patients, but are stopping short of implementing universal mask mandates like the ones in place for much of the pandemic.

Leaders at UMass Memorial Medical Center are hoping that more mask-wearing cuts down on the number of employees catching infections and calling out sick.

About 30 health care workers a day are calling out sick with COVID, said Dr. Robert Klugman, an associate vice president at UMass Memorial. “Then you add the people that are calling in with flu or RSV or bad bronchitis or whatever. So it's significant numbers of people every day that are home sick.”

He urged members of the public to protect themselves through vaccination, masking and being selective about social events — for example, trying to avoid situations where lots of people are packed indoors with poor ventilation and breathing the same air.

COVID may feel like a mild cold for many people, but for others, Klugman said, it can still cause severe illness or debilitating long-term symptoms.

“Take care of yourself,” he said. “COVID is no joke.”