'Tripledemic' of flu, RSV, COVID could result in 'explosion' of sick patients, Chicago doctors warn

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago area doctors are sounding the alarm about the triple threat of COVID-19, the flu and RSV as we head towards winter. Hospital in the Chicago area and across the country are packed with patients.

"As health professionals, I think we can say that we are concerned," said Dr. Gregory Huhn, interim chair of infectious disease and vaccine coordinator at Cook County Health.

READ MORE | Chicago area children's hospital compares surge in RSV cases to 'March 2020'

Cook County Health physicians came together Tuesday to urge folks to get boo-sted this Halloween for COVID and the flu.

"All the other boosters are kind of out of school now," Cook County Health COO Dr. Lamar Hasbrouck said. "The only booster that matters now is this new booster."

The push comes amid a wave of children catching RSV, a respiratory virus most common in the winter months, across the country.

READ MORE | RSV in babies, toddlers filling up pediatric hospital beds in Chicago unusually early, doctors warn

But this year, RSV has arrived much earlier and some kids up to 6 years old are needing hospitalization.

"I fully expect to see an explosion of influenza, RSV, COVID and other respiratory viruses this fall and winter," said Dr. Sharon Welbel, director of hospital epidemiology and infection control at Cook County Health.

Health officials say that 80% of people in suburban Cook County have gotten at least one shot of the COVID vaccine, but only 9% have received the latest bivalent booster shot.

READ MORE | An early rise in respiratory viruses in children is overwhelming some hospitals

Physicians are fighting the same uphill battle that people just don't seem to be getting the shot, and they also worry a winter surge is upon us.

"The weather is colder in much of the country, including certainly here in Chicago," Huhn said. "Parties move indoors and multigenerational families are gathering for the holidays."

With hospitals now facing a triple threat of COVID, the flu, and RSV and emergency rooms already becoming full, doctors are pleading with people to get their flu and COVID booster shots, as RSV doesn't have a vaccine.

"Given our limited capacity, we want to make sure we are putting all bets down and making sure everybody gets every booster and vaccine that's available to them, so that we can have those at availability, should the RSV rates continue to tick up," Hasbrouck said.