Respiratory Illness in Our Community

In addition to COVID-19, there are two other respiratory viruses spreading quickly throughout our community right now: influenza (flu) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The flu virus mainly spreads via direct contact with a sick person or through the inhalation of droplets from a sick person talking, sneezing, or coughing. In less frequent cases, the flu virus may be spread when a person touches a contaminated surface and then touches their eyes, nose, or mouth. For RSV, the main pathways of transmission are the same as the flu, with the exception that transmission via infected surfaces is more common in cases of RSV. 

This past week, Virginia saw more cases of flu than we have in any other one-week period over the past few years. Both the flu and RSV have also started spreading rapidly earlier in the season than on average, and many hospitals are already nearing capacity due to the drastic increase of patients sick from respiratory illnesses.

Symptoms

With these different contagious respiratory viruses circulating in our area, there’s quite a bit of overlap in the typical symptoms, including fever, cough, fatigue, and congestion. Check out the chart below to help determine which virus may be behind the illness:

Visit Healthy Children’s website for more details about the differences between COVID-19, flu, and RSV. Remember: while some symptoms may be more likely to belong to one virus over another, making an appointment to get checked by a healthcare provider is the best way to determine what’s causing sickness.

Severe Illness

While both flu and RSV typically cause mild to moderate symptoms, both viruses can be very dangerous and potentially life-threatening for certain groups of people. 

Those at risk of RSV-related complications: 

• Infants under 12 weeks of age
• Babies with chronic health conditions
• Immunocompromised babies

Those at risk of flu-related complications:

• Very young children
• Elderly people
• Immunocompromised

Prevention

“The best way to reduce the risk of flu and its potentially serious complications is to get vaccinated each year” said State Health Commissioner Colin M. Greene, MD, MPH. “This is why I am encouraging Virginians to receive their annual flu shot and practice preventive healthy habits.” 

While there are no vaccines available for RSV, the same prevention measures still apply! Check out the list below for tips on how to avoid respiratory illness-causing viruses (including from COVID-19!) this season: 

• Wash your hands frequently 
• If a sink isn’t available, use hand sanitizer
• Stay home if you’re not feeling well
• Consider wearing a mask in populated spaces and around those at high risk of complications
• Cough and sneeze into your elbow- not your hand! 
• Avoid close contact with others and sharing items (like cups or utensils)
• Stay up-to-date on the latest vaccines, like flu and COVID-19 vaccines

Especially for organizations serving vulnerable populations, using multiple layers of prevention is key to keeping viral transmission as low as possible. To learn more about how to best keep yourself and those around you safe, visit the CDC’s RSV, flu, and COVID-19 prevention webpages. 

Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) Annual Report

It’s that time of the year Blue Ridge! We’re proud to present the BRHD Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22: June 2021 - July 2022). This report provides a detailed breakdown of all the phenomenal work our teams have accomplished across all of our health departments’ different programs. Whether it’s about our well-known services like COVID-19 vaccines, or lesser known programs like septic tank inspections, we covered it all!

You can read the full FY22 Annual Report here and find past Annual Reports on this BRHD webpage.

Tobacco Free Tuesdays

The next Tobacco Free Tuesday is on November 15, 2022. In celebration of the Great American Smokeout, community members who quit tobacco and nicotine will share their quit journey and quit tips. You won’t want to miss their stories! The virtual event will take place via Zoom on Tuesday, November 15 from 10-11AM. Register by scanning the QR below or visiting this link: tinyurl.com/TFT111522.