Are you Ready for the Triple Threat Coming to Lubbock This Fall?

As we seem to feel that the height of the pandemic is over and we see less and less people wearing masks it does feel like there is some sense of relief in the air. With that being said University Medical Center and Covenant Children's hospitals are both preparing for what has been named the "tripledemic". Don't be too alarmed about this name it just means that there have been increases in Flu, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and COVID-19.

KAMC news reported that some pediatricians are concerned with the decrease in Influenza shots, high RSV cases, and the multiple variants of COVID-19 currently affecting many people. As of right now the biggest concern is coming from RSV infections due to children getting more exposure to certain infections that they have not built up an immunity to. This is in part due to lockdown and mask protocols associated with the COVID-19 pandemic that shielded many of those now affected.

University Medical Center has reported that the hospital is getting many patients from outside of the city as those patients own hospitals are so full they have to be transferred out. Many of the patients are from surrounding areas but most recently Chief Nursing Officer Shannon Bates told KAMC news that Covenant Children's received a call from Houston due to them running out of space.

As a precaution Lubbock hospitals have already put a plan into action to increase staff and equipment so that they may be able to run at full capacity if necessary. It is advised for everyone to stay up to date on their vaccines to give any illnesses less chance to spread. Doctors are recommending families to social distance and wear their masks as preventive measures to decrease the likelihood of coming into direct contact with an infected person, and whatever illness they may unknowingly be carrying.