>>> WELCOME TO "NOON WEDNESDAY,"
I'M MARISA WOJCIK, MULTIMEDIA
JOURNALIST WITH "HERE & NOW" ON
PBS WISCONSIN.
AN UNUSUAL RISE IN NON-COVID
RESPIRATORY VIRUSES IS WORRYING
OFFICIALS AT THE WISCONSIN LEVEL
AND NATIONAL LEVEL.
JOINING US TO EXPLAIN WHAT IS
HAPPENING IS TOM HAUPT, A
RESPIRATORY DISEASE
EPIDEMIOLOGIST FROM THE
WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
SERVICES.
TOM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
JOINING US.
>> AND THANK YOU FOR THE
INVITATION TO GET ON THE SHOW, I
REALLY APPRECIATE HELPING US GET
THE MESSAGE OUT.
>> NOW, YOU REFER TO THESE
NON-COVID RELATED SEASONAL
RESPIRATORY VIRUSES AS RSVs.
THERE'S ALSO A RISE IN
PARAINFLUENZA CASES.
WHEN DO WE TYPICALLY SEE A RISE
IN THESE CASES, AND WHY ARE THEY
RISING RIGHT NOW?
>> WELL, RSV COMMONLY KNOWN IS A
WINTER VIRUS THAT USUALLY
FOLLOWS INFLUENZA SEASON BY A
MONTH OR SO.
WE SHOULD BE OUT OF THE RSV
SEASON RIGHT NOW, BUT WE SAW
NOTHING IN THE WINTER TIME AS
WAS THE CASE WITH INFLUENZA.
WE DID NOT SEE ANY RSV.
FOR SOME REASON, IT'S
REAPPEARING RIGHT NOW.
THE REASON FOR IT, BEHIND IT, WE
JUST DON'T KNOW FOR SURE.
THERE'S THEORIES THAT, YOU KNOW,
IT'S BEEN 18, 19 MONTHS SINCE WE
HAD RSV, MAYBE IT'S JUST TIME
THAT IT REAPPEARED.
WE JUST REALLY ARE KEENED OF --
KEENED OF SHOCKED THAT IT DID
REAPPEAR.
PARA INFLU ENSAI IS A LATE
SEASON FLU, BUT ANOTHER ONE WE
ARE SEEING THE SEASONAL
CORONAVIRUS, THE NON-COVID
CORONAVIRUSES, AND, AGAIN, THEY
ARE WINTER VIRUSES AS WELL, AND
WE SHOULD NOT BE SEEING THEM AT
THIS PARTICULAR TIME.
IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHY THIS
IS HAPPENING.
I MEAN, WE TALKED ABOUT IT ON A
NATIONAL LEVEL, AND NOBODY HAS A
REAL ANSWER FOR IT AT THIS
POINT.
>> NOW, WHY DOES THE RISE IN THE
VIRUSES HAVE HEALTH OFFICIALS,
LIKE YOURSELF, CONCERNED?
>> WELL, ONE THING WE ARE
CONCERNED ABOUT IS THAT THE
PEOPLE MIGHT BE COMPLACENT, YOU
KNOW, NOW THAT COVID IS AT VERY,
VERY LOW NUMBERS, WE ARE VERY
CONCERNED THAT PEOPLE MAY THEY
HAVE RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS AND IT
IS JUST ALLERGIES AND NOT
INFECTIOUS.
THESE VIRUSES, INTRODUCED INTO A
LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY OR A DAY
CARE, IT COULD BE DEVASTATING.
I MEAN, IT COULD SPREAD LIKE
WILDFIRE, CAUSE SEVERE ILLNESS
IN THE ELDERLY POPULATION AND
YOUNG CHILDREN.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE SEEN
SEVERE CASES BOTH IN WISCONSIN
AND NATIONWIDE FROM THE VIRUSES.
>> NOW, DOES THE DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH SERVICES TRACK HOW MANY
PEOPLE ARE CATCHING THESE
NON-COVID RESPIRATORY VIRUSES?
HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THERE'S AN
UPTICK RIGHT NOW?
>> WELL, WE HAVE SEVERAL
DIFFERENT SURVEILLANCE METHODS.
ONE IS OUR LABORATORY
SURVEILLANCE WHERE WE HAVE ABOUT
100 LABS THAT REPORT VOLUNTARILY
TO THE STATE LABORATORY OF
HYGIENE OF WHAT THEY ARE SEEING,
HOW MANY TESTS THEY ARE RUNNING,
HOW MANY ARE POSITIVE.
THAT'S OUR POSITIVITY RATE, AND,
AGAIN, PARAINFLUENZA IS AT 10%,
11%, AND WE SHOULD NOT BE THAT
HIGH AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME.
RSV IS STARTING TO RISE A LITTLE
BIT.
CORONAVIRUS IS ABOUT 6%, AND
WE'RE AT THE HIGHER NUMBERS THAN
WHAT WE NORMALLY SEE.
WE ALSO HAVE WHAT WE CALL
"SYNDROMEIC SURVEILLANCE" WITH
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS THROUGHOUT
THE STATE.
INFLU ENSAI-LIKE ILLNESS IS JUST
COUGH AND SORE THROAT IS WHAT IT
IS, BUT THAT IS DONE THROUGH 35,
36 DIFFERENT EMERGENCY
DEPARTMENTS, AND WE ARE REALLY
SEEING THAT STARTING TO RISE A
LITTLE BIT, ESPECIALLY AMONGST
YOUNG CHILDREN, 0 TO 4 AGE GROUP
IS HIT VERY, VERY HARD.
THOSE ARE THE TWO MAIN WAYS WE
ARE LOOKING AT THIS, AND SO WE
DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER OF
PEOPLE WHO HAVE IT, BUT OUR
SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS INDICATE
THE SAME THING THAT THERE'S A
RISE IN NON-COVID VIRUSES.
>> AND YOU MENTIONED THE RISE IN
CHILDREN AGE 0 TO 4, AND THERE
ARE HOSPITALIZATIONS ON THE RISE
NOT TYPICAL FOR THIS TIME OF
YEAR.
WHAT ARE THOSE NUMBERS AT?
>> THE NUMBERS -- IT IS HARD TO
SAY BECAUSE THESE ARE NOT
REPORTABLE, PER SE, BUT WE HAVE
BEEN IN TOUCH WITH A LOT OF THE
HOSPITALS THAT HAVE PEDIATRIC
UNITS ISSUE AND THEY ARE ALL
TELLING US THAT THEY ARE SEEING
HIGHER THAN NORMAL NUMBERS FROM
VIRUSES OTHER THAN COVID,
INCOMING RSV, INCLUDING
PARAINFLUENZA, AND SOME SO SICK
THEY ARE ADMITTED TO THE
INTENSIVE CARE UNIT.
>> NOW, PEOPLE ARE BECOMING MORE
CONCERNED ABOUT THE MORE
CONTAGIOUS DELTA VARIANT OF
COVID-19 THAT'S SPREADING, AND
CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 12 ARE
STILL UNABLE TO GET VACCINATED
AGAINST COVID-19.
IS IT DIFFICULT TO DECIPHER
SYMPTOMS OF THESE OTHER
RESPIRATORY VIRUSES FROM
COVID-19 AND ITS VARIANTS?
>> YOU MAKE A REALLY GOOD POINT.
IT IS VERY DIFFICULT.
THE ONLY WAY TO KNOW WHAT VIRUS
YOU ARE CARRYING AND POTENTIALLY
SPREADING IS THROUGH TESTING AS
THE SYMPTOMS ARE EXTREMELY
SIMILAR.
REALLY CAN'T DISTINGUISH BETWEEN
ANY OF THEM, COVID, INFLUENZA,
ANY OF THE PARTICULAR VIRUSES
OTHER THAN DOING SOME TESTING.
>> SO DHS REPORTED CONCERNS OF
ELDERLY AND THOSE WITH
UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITIONS ARE
AT MORE RISK FOR SEVERE ILLNESS
FROM THE VIRUSES.
WHY, IN PARTICULAR, ARE CHILDREN
BECOMING SERIOUSLY ILL, AND AS
WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT, BEING
HOSPITALIZED?
>> WELL, CHILDREN DON'T HAVE THE
NATURAL IMMUNITY, AND, AGAIN,
THERE'S NO VACCINES FOR ANY OF
THE VIRUSES OTHER THAN INFLUENZA
AND COVID.
NONE OF THEM HAVE VACCINES.
THEY HAVE A NATURAL LOWER
IMMUNITY TO THESE VIRUSES.
IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR
YOUNG CHILDREN WHO HAVE ANY KIND
OF LUNG PROBLEMS OR CARDIAC
PROBLEMS, PREMATURE CHILDREN,
THEY ARE VERY SUSCEPTIBLE TO
VERY SEVERE ILLNESS FROM THE
PARTICULAR VIRUSES, ESPECIALLY
RSV AND PARAINFLUENZA.
ANY AGE GROUP CAN COME DOWN WITH
THE VIRUSES, BUT THE YOUNGER
POPULATION, THE OLDER
POPULATION, AND THOSE WITH
UNDERLIE ILLNESSES WILL BE HIT
THE HARDEST AND COULD RUN INTO
SEVERE ILLNESSES LIKE PNEUMONIA.
KNOCK ON WOOD WITH, WE HAVE NOT
KNOWN OF ANY DEATHS YET.
WE HAVE HEARD FROM OTHER STATES
THAT THERE HAVE BEEN DEATHS, BUT
WE'RE CONTINUING TO MONITOR THAT
CLOSELY AS WELL HOPING FOR THE
BEST.
>> YOU JUST MENTIONED THIS IS
HAPPENING IN OTHER STATES, AND
AS MORE PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS
ARE LIFTED, IS THAT GIVING THESE
OTHER VIRUSES THEIR OPPORTUNITY
TO SPREAD AFTER WE DIDN'T REALLY
SEE A COLD AND FLU SEASON LAST
WINTER?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WITH RESTRICTIONS BEING LIFTED,
IT GIVES OPPORTUNITY FOR THESE
VIRUSES TO SPREAD.
WE ARE ASKING PEOPLE, AGAIN, IF
THEY COME DOWN WITH ANY KIND OF
ILLNESS, PLEASE USE THE SAME
PRECAUTIONS YOU HAVE BEEN USING
IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS.
STAY AT HOME, IF YOU CAN AT ALL
HELP IT.
IF YOU GO OUT, GET THE MASK BACK
OUT, PUT IT ON, BE RESPECTFUL TO
OTHERS, DON'T SPREAD IT TO
OTHERS.
GOOD HYGIENE, COUGHING INTO YOUR
SLEEVE AS I DID, UNFORTUNATELY,
AND SNEEZING, JUST INTO A
TISSUE, AND WASH YOUR HANDS.
YOU KNOW, SIMPLE STUFF, BUT IT
IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO
CONTINUE ON 365 DAYS A YEAR, BUT
YOUR POINT IS VERY WELL-TAKEN
THAT THESE RESTRICTIONS COULD
ACTUALLY LEAD TO INCREASED VIRUS
SPREADING.
>> ARE WE ABLE TO LOOK INTO ANY
SORT OF CRYSTAL BALL AND FORESEE
THAT THIS COLD SEASON IS GOING
TO BE HAPPENING YEAR ROUND, OR
THAT THESE VIRUSES ARE GOING TO
GAIN ANY SORT OF STRENGTH?
>> WELL, EVERY TIME WE LOOKED
INTO A CRYSTAL BALL, WE FOUND
THAT WE ARE WRONG.
YOU KNOW, AND, I MEAN, IT IS
JUST, AGAIN, THIS COMES AS A
SURPRISE TO US.
YOU KNOW, BUT, AGAIN, THIS IS
WHY WE CONTINUE AS A STATE
HEALTH DEPARTMENT, LOCAL HEALTH
DEPARTMENTS TO MONITOR VIRUSES
AND ACTIVITY 365 DAYS A YEAR.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT
IN THE FUTURE WITH THIS.
IDEALLY, IT SHOULDN'T BE HERE BY
NOW, HOPEFULLY IT'S JUST A FLUKE
HAPPENING JUST THIS ONE YEAR AND
WE'LL GET BACK TO NORMAL
SEASONALITY IN THE COMING YEARS.
IT IS HARD TO SAY RIGHT NOW.
IT IS JUST BEEN SUCH A MIXED UP
YEAR AND A HALF WHERE EVERYTHING
YOU THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN
DOES NOT HAPPEN, AND VICE VERSA.
>> WHAT DO YOU FORESEE WITH
SUMMER ACTIVITIES AND AGE GROUP
DESCRIBED AS YOUNG CHILDREN ARE
VERY ACTIVE IN THE SUMMER.
THERE ARE SUMMER CAMPS.
THERE'S JUST BEING OUTSIDE,
GOING TO THE POOL, AND SO WHAT
DOES THIS MEAN FOR THOSE
ACTIVITIES AND WHAT'S IT MEAN
FOR GOING BACK TO SCHOOL IN THE
FALL?
>> WELL, AGAIN, WITH THE SUMMER
CAMPS, ESPECIALLY ONES WHERE
THEY HAVE OVERNIGHTS, THEY ARE
NOT USUALLY THE YOUNG CHILDREN,
BUT THE OLDER CHILDREN,
ADOLESCENTS AND TEENAGERS, BUT
THERE'S ALREADY BEEN A VERY
LARGE CAMP OUTBREAK IN COLORADO
THAT HAPPENED.
THAT COULD BE COVID.
I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT IT WAS,
BUT THEY HAD OVER 80 CHILDREN
WHO WERE POSITIVE AND HAD TO
BE -- HAD SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF
RESPIRATORY VIRUSES.
AGAIN, BACK TO SCHOOL, WE'LL BE
DOING JUST PREACHING THE SAME
MESSAGE.
IF YOU ARE SICK, DON'T GO TO
SCHOOL.
IF YOU DO GO TO SCHOOL, I MEAN,
WE ARE NOT SAYING YOU HAVE TO
WEAR A MASK, BUT THE MASK IS
CERTAINLY AN OPTION.
THAT COULD BE USED AGAIN.
BUT THE BIG THING IS, USING GOOD
HYGIENE.
REALLY GOOD HYGIENE, RESPECT
OTHERS WHO ARE AROUND YOU.
TRY TO LIMIT THE SPREAD AS MUCH
AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN.
ANOTHER ISSUE IS DAYCARE.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DAYCARE
OUTBREAKS, AND, FORTUNATELY, WE
HAVE NOT HAD ONE IN WISCONSIN
YET, BUT WE ARE MONITORING THAT
SITUATION, BUT I KNOW FOR A FACT
SEVERAL OTHER STATES HAVE HAD
VERY LARGE OUTBREAKS.
15 TO 20, 30 CHILDREN COMING
DOWN WITH DIFFERENT VIRUSES.
PARENTS CANNOT SEND THEIR
CHILDREN TODAY -- TO DAYCARES,
DON'T GIVE THEM A FEVER REDUCER
SO THEY ARE ELIGIBLE TO GET IN
THE DAYCARE AND PICK THEM UP
FOUR HOURS LATER.
WE NEED GOOD COMPLIANCE FROM ALL
OF PARENTS AND JUST PRACTICE OUR
GOOD HYGIENE AND KEEP PUSHING
IT.
>> YOU MENTIONED WE DON'T WANT
TO GET COMPLACENT, IS THAT
REFERRING TO THE MASK WEARING,
HAND WASHING, AND DO YOU FORESEE
FUTURE HEALTH GUIDANCE OF
WEARING MASKS IN PUBLIC SPACES
AND CONGREGATIONAL SETTINGS AND
SOCIAL DISTANCING, DO YOU SEE
THAT AS LONG-TERM HEALTH
GUIDANCE THAT THE DEPARTMENT
MIGHT CONSIDER TO TRY AND
PREVENT THESE OUTBREAKS?
>> I THINK MASKS ARE GOING TO BE
HERE TO STAY TO SOME EXTENT.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL EVER GET
BACK TO ANOTHER MASK MANDATORY
MASKING, BUT I THINK PEOPLE
SHOULD BE AWARE MASKING DID
WORK.
IT PREVENTS ILLNESSES FROM
COVID, AND IT DID PREVENT
ILLNESSES FROM INFLUENZA, AND IT
IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE USED IN
THE FUTURE, AND I HOPE IT DOES
NOT COME DOWN TO A POINT OF A
MANDATORY MASKING AS BEFORE,
BUT, AGAIN, IT IS -- WITH THE
MASKING, SOMETIMES IT IS BEING
DONE TOO QUICKLY, SOME STATES
STOPPING MANDATES A LITTLE TOO
EARLY, IN MY OPINION, BUT IT
IS -- IT IS A PROVEN METHOD THAT
IT WORKS AND SOMETHING THAT WILL
BE IN THE ARSENAL OF COMING
YEARS AS WELL.
>> WE SAW WITH COVID AND SEEN
WITH VIRUSES BEFORE THAT PEOPLE
WHO ARE NOT AS AFFECTED STILL
CAN TRANSMIT IT TO MORE
VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
IS THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT
NOW, AND WHERE EXACTLY SHOULD
PEOPLE BE MOST CAREFUL?
>> WELL, YEAH.
THERE IS ALWAYS THAT POSSIBILITY
OF PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO SPREAD
IT AT LEAST A DAY BEFORE.
I KNOW WITH COVID IT CAN BE
SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE, AND THEY
REALLY HAVE NOT STUDIED IT AS
MUCH WITH THE PARA INFLUENZA AND
RSV, BUT WITH INFLUENZA, AT
LEAST 24 HOURS BEFORE THE ACTUAL
SYMPTOMS START, YOU CAN SPREAD
TO OTHERS.
YOU WANT TO BE EXTREMELY
CAREFUL, YOU KNOW, SPREADING IT
TO VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
AGAIN, IF PEOPLE HAVE ANY KIND
OF SIGN OR SYMPTOM, FOREGO THAT
VISIT TO A LONG-TERM CARE
FACILITY, ALTHOUGH THEY ARE
OPENING UP IN ADMISSIONS NOW AND
VISITATIONS, DON'T GO IN THERE
IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO.
AGAIN, THESE VIRUSES GOT SPREAD
VERY QUICKLY, WITHIN THE
FACILITY, A FACILITY WILL SPREAD
QUICKLY, AND WE HAD MAJOR
OUTBREAKS IN THE PAST IN
WISCONSIN THAT UNFORTUNATELY
REPORTED IN FATALITIES AS WELL.
LIMIT TIME WITH ALL VULNERABLE
POPULATION.
AGAIN, THAT'S YOUNGER CHILDREN,
OLDER POPULATIONS, AND THOSE
WITH UNDERLYING DISEASE.
MAYBE YOU DON'T KNOW, BUT THAT'S
WHY YOU KEEP PRACTICING GOOD
HYGIENE, AND, YOU KNOW, BE
RESPECTFUL TO OTHERS AND TRY NOT
TO SPREAD THIS PARTICULAR
VIRUSES.
>> FOR THOSE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE TO
GET A VACCINE, WILL GETTING A
VACCINE HELP DECIPHER BETWEEN
WHAT KIND OF VIRUS SOMEONE MIGHT
BE CONTRACTING?
>> IT COULD.
I MEAN, WITH THE -- WE CERTAINLY
ENCOURAGE INFLUENZA VACCINE AND
COVID VACCINE, BUT, YOU KNOW, AS
FAR AS OTHER VIRUSES, YOU'LL
NEVER -- SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS ARE
PRETTY MUCH THE SAME.
SO, AGAIN, THE ONLY WAY YOU'LL
KNOW IS TO TEST.
THE BENEFIT OF BEING VACCINATED
AGAINST COVID AND AGAINST
INFLUENZA IS THAT YOU DON'T HAVE
ANY OF THE CO-VIRUSES OR ANY RSV
OR COVID TOGETHER, WHICH, AGAIN,
DEADLY FOR ANYONE, ANY
POPULATION TO HAVE MULTIPLE
DIFFERENT VIRUSES AT THE SAME
TIME.
AGAIN, WE ENCOURAGE VACCINE AS
QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, CONSIDER IT
FOR YOURSELF AND THOSE AROUND
YOU.
>>> ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE TO LEAVE
IT THERE, TOM HAUPT FROM THE
WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
SERVICES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH
FOR JOINING US TODAY.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> FOR MORE FROM "HERE & NOW"
AND PBS WISCONSIN, VISIT
PBSWISCONSIN.ORG AND THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON "NOON
WEDNESDAY."