CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As we travel to gather with family and friends for the holidays, you may want to take a moment and make sure you aren't bringing COVID-19 or the flu along with you.
Health experts have been sounding the alarm about the "tripledemic" for some time, with flu, COVID-19 and RSV cases causing a spike in hospitalizations across the country and in the Carolinas.
But why is COVID-19 more of a concern than the flu? Let's connect the dots.
When the weather gets colder, many folks gather to celebrate the holidays. This year, we're facing multiple respiratory viruses.
Even with 1 in every 7 COVID-19 tests coming back positive, some health experts don't expect a surge like we saw last winter.
They say all the immunity we've built up will give us more protection from very serious diseases and illnesses. However, as we continue to not wear masks, cases of the flu and COVID continue to rise.
In North Carolina this fall, at least 78 people have died from the flu, In comparison, 78 people died from COVID-19 in just the first week of flu season. For every person who's died of the flu this fall, six North Carolinians died from COVID.
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