Despite the emergence of the latest COVID-19 mutation-heavy variant, BA.2.86, and a recent uptick in hospital admissions due to the virus, some clinicians are still optimistic that this fall and winter will not become a 'tripledemic' repeat.
Eric Biondi, MD, the director of the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Division at Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore, told the Baltimore Sun that even with an increase in COVID-19 cases and other illnesses, he's hopeful it's signaling more of a "flattening of the curve" and not a sign of a difficult respiratory virus season to come.
"Last year, the big problem was, we just got hit with everything at the exact same time, over a two-week period," Dr. Biondi told the Baltimore Sun. "Hopefully, what we’re seeing now represents a more normal distribution of viral illness, rather than foretelling a big spike."
And while predictions from experts about the upcoming season vary, the one triple-threat experts have consensus on for fall respiratory virus season is betting on the trio of vaccines that will be available to help curb hospital overload.