Flu season has peaked; COVID numbers climbing in Albany

ALBANY — It’s that time of year when it’s common to hear co-workers or people out in public hacking and sniffling from sinus and bronchial ailments. While usually a cold or “the crud,” as some physicians refer to minor, indeterminable sicknesses, in recent weeks the number of COVID-19 cases has been picking up.

Influenza, COVID and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) tends to be more serious for the young and elderly, but so far the number of hospitalizations at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany has not increased significantly. The number hospitalized for COVID has been steady from around the high single-digits to the low double-digits, according to the hospital.

The week of Nov. 28 was a low point for testing, when 133 COVID tests were given among all of Phoebe’s primary- and urgent-care facilities, with eight, or 6%, testing positive.

Recently, the number of tests has increased, as has the positivity rate.

On the week of Jan. 16, 287 COVKD tests were performed, with 66 patients testing positive, and the week ending on Jan. 23, 77 of 331 patients testing positive, for a 23% rate of positive tests for both weeks.

Influenza seems to have peaked around Christmas, according to Phoebe. The largest number of tests were administered the week of Dec. 17, when 111 of 517 patients tested positive. The following week, there were 133 positive cases out of 512 tests administered, about 26% of those tested.

Most of those who tested positive for flu, COVID and RSV manifested the usual symptoms like a runny nose and coughs, said Dr. Manish Joshi, Phoebe’s director for urgent care and community care clinics.

“This is very normal (for flu),” Joshi said. “Flu-related activity increases this time of year, and by March it settles down.”

COVID numbers don’t follow the same seasonal pattern, and there can be a jump in positive tests at any point in the year.

“I would say we are at medium to a little bit on the high side for COVID right now,” he said.

Luckily, Joshi said, the current vaccines and antiviral medications are effective against the latest variant that is causing most of the illnesses at this time.

“COVID isn’t going anywhere,” he said. “The vaccine has definitely improved our community. Vaccines have really improved the situation in our community for flu and COVID.

“(The) vaccine is not going to prevent you from getting COVID, but the vaccine will reduce the severity.”

For most people, a few days of rest, fluids and vitamins do the trick. Some patients are prescribed antiviral medications for either flu or COVID.

Joshi recommends vitamins C and D, along with zinc to his patients.

“Vitamin D is good for oral health and immunity,” he said. “All my patients I give two weeks of D, C and zinc. A lot of people have low vitamin D.”

A low number of patients are actually being referred to the hospital, the physician said.

“If they have difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, we send them to the emergency room,” he said.

For better odds of not getting sick during flu season and COVID spikes, Joshi recommended the same regimen that has been given since the pandemic began in 2020: frequent and thorough hand-washing and wearing a face mask.

Special Photo: Phoebe Putney Health System