'The viruses are returning to normal' in Washington for winter 2024

The winter season in the Northwest brings rain, dark skies, and the sniffles. For winter 2024, health officials expect that a lot more sniffles are coming, with three viruses circulating through the region.

"I think it's just the viruses are returning to normal," Dr. Helen Chu with the University of Washington School Of Medicine told Seattle Now.

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Dr. Chu gave an overall status report on seasonal illnesses as Washington begins 2024, following holiday gatherings, and returning to school and work.

• There are three viruses roaming among the general public — Covid, flu, and RSV.
• Currently, flu and Covid cases are going up.
• After surging over the fall, RSV cases are now on the decline.
• Washington is currently faring a bit better than other parts of the country, such as the Southeast and California where flu cases are high. With three different flu viruses spreading, Washington currently has moderate to high case levels, but that is expected to quickly change.
• Chu expects two viruses will spread at the same time, but probably (hopefully) not all three. She expects considerable increases in flu and Covid cases over the coming weeks.

"We are heading into the time when we are going to start seeing the numbers of cases go up, over the course of the next several days, and it is possible that the hospitals will start to fill up with cases of Covid and flu," Dr. Chu said, adding that the current flu vaccine appears to be a "good match" for what is going around.

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Vaccination levels in King County, however, are not looking as good. About 20% of county residents are up to date on Covid shots; 30% have received the flu vaccine; and roughly 15% of people eligible for an RSV vaccine have gotten the shot.

"So quite low, overall," Chu said. "I think people are tired of getting vaccines. It's a lot to get all at once; three vaccines at one time has lots of side effects. People probably have a lot of vaccine fatigue. The important thing is that it is not too late, and you can space them out ... Flu has not peaked yet, and Covid numbers are going to start coming up, and it takes about a week after you get your vaccine to get your antibody levels up and be protected. So now is a good time, as you go back to work and back to school, to get those seasonal vaccines."

Listen to Dr. Chu's full conversation with Seattle Now here.