New York's Office Spaces Feel Emptier as Flu Season Takes Hold
The last week of November marked a sharp increase in flu cases in New York, with lab-confirmed infections surging by 80% over the previous week. The staggering number stands at over 14,500, prompting health officials to urge residents to take extra precautions.
As hospitals scramble to cope with the surge in patients, nearly 800 New Yorkers were hospitalized with the flu during this period, a whopping 93% increase from the week before. State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald warned that this season's strain is more severe than last year, citing circulating strains of the virus.
With winter holidays fast approaching, health officials are advising residents to get vaccinated not only against the flu but also against COVID and RSV. As of mid-November, approximately 3.4 million New Yorkers had received their flu shots, a slightly lower number compared to last season's record-breaking figure.
However, data indicates that COVID vaccination numbers have taken a significant hit, with a drop of 30% from the same period last year. A recent executive order by Governor Kathy Hochul has helped alleviate concerns about access to the vaccines, allowing pharmacies to administer shots to all children over three.
Despite these efforts, regional health authorities are sounding the alarm on rising cases of RSV, which have increased by 17% compared to the previous week. Meanwhile, there have been no reported pediatric deaths from COVID, the flu, or RSV in New York this season so far.
As Dr. McDonald emphasized, "Gathering with loved ones is what this season is all about." With vaccines offering the best protection against these seasonal illnesses, residents are advised to prioritize their health and well-being during the winter holidays.
The last week of November marked a sharp increase in flu cases in New York, with lab-confirmed infections surging by 80% over the previous week. The staggering number stands at over 14,500, prompting health officials to urge residents to take extra precautions.
As hospitals scramble to cope with the surge in patients, nearly 800 New Yorkers were hospitalized with the flu during this period, a whopping 93% increase from the week before. State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald warned that this season's strain is more severe than last year, citing circulating strains of the virus.
With winter holidays fast approaching, health officials are advising residents to get vaccinated not only against the flu but also against COVID and RSV. As of mid-November, approximately 3.4 million New Yorkers had received their flu shots, a slightly lower number compared to last season's record-breaking figure.
However, data indicates that COVID vaccination numbers have taken a significant hit, with a drop of 30% from the same period last year. A recent executive order by Governor Kathy Hochul has helped alleviate concerns about access to the vaccines, allowing pharmacies to administer shots to all children over three.
Despite these efforts, regional health authorities are sounding the alarm on rising cases of RSV, which have increased by 17% compared to the previous week. Meanwhile, there have been no reported pediatric deaths from COVID, the flu, or RSV in New York this season so far.
As Dr. McDonald emphasized, "Gathering with loved ones is what this season is all about." With vaccines offering the best protection against these seasonal illnesses, residents are advised to prioritize their health and well-being during the winter holidays.
. We were bound to see an uptick after a summer of low cases. It's crazy how quickly it's spreading though - 80% increase just last week? That's wild! 
I hope they can handle the hospitals, it would be a nightmare if people had to wait too long for care.
Guess I'll just have to keep getting my shots in. And yeah, RSV is looking up too - 17% increase?! We need to stay on top of this stuff! 
remember when Miley Cyrus had that crazy cough in 2013? 
anyway back to this flu season, I think it's wild how much worse it is than last year's strain... my grandma got really sick back in the day too, she had to stay home from work for like a month 
these vaccines are our best bet to avoid getting infected so yeah, let's get shot up 
And what about the 93% increase in hospitalizations - is that based on the number of people admitted with flu-like symptoms or are we talking actual confirmed cases? More context would be helpful here. 
, time to get vaccinated! Vaccines don't guarantee no sick days, but they reduce risk 
guess people aren't taking this season seriously enough or something 
anyway, gotta give it to Governor Hochul for making vaccines more accessible tho 
... and yeah, let's all just prioritize our health & well-being during the holidays 
. Like, 14k lab-confirmed cases in one week? That's insane! And hospitals are already slammed because of COVID and RSV too... it's just too much 
. I mean, I'm all for gathering with loved ones, but only if you're doing it safely 
. Let's all just look out for each other this flu season, 'kay? 
- it's inevitable! And 14k cases in a week? That's just getting started, I'm sure 
. Maybe I'll just stick to my air-purifier and hand sanitizer 
. Where's the data? How can we trust the numbers if they're not transparent? We need to see more info on how many kids were hospitalized or died due to these illnesses before we all breathe a sigh of relief 
That's, like, a total mess.
I'm seeing all these empty office spaces in NYC and I'm like... what's the point of even having a meeting room if no one's gonna show up? 
It's like everyone's just staying home with their mums and dads, taking it easy. 
And don't even get me started on the vaccine numbers... 30% drop? 
. I'm so over it when people can't even go out in public without getting sick. I mean, come on, 14,500 new cases in just one week? That's crazy! And don't even get me started on how busy hospitals are – I feel bad for the nurses and doctors having to deal with all those patients 
), I also hate seeing people sick and vulnerable.
!
. Maybe they should increase the number of vaccine doses available or something?
Vaccines are super important, I guess, but can't they just make a magic shot that keeps us all safe? 
sadly that's lower than last year 
but still we gotta get those jabs in! 
governor hochul's exec order is a big help 