OMAHA, Neb (KMTV) — Trying to keep from getting sick has been a tough task in Omaha lately and it is not just one bug that folks have to watch out for.
“We have seen quite the surge of cases of initially RSV, then COVID and now Influenza A, especially with COVID cases on the rise again,” said Dr. Erika Rothgeb with Think Whole Person Healthcare.
Douglas County, like much of the country, is in the midst of what’s being called a tripledemic.
Last week the Douglas County Health Department recorded more than 1,000 cases of Influenza A.
COVID numbers have been delayed due to the winter storm but last week’s numbers show the community has already topped the number of positive cases seen in this summer’s omicron wave.
“On average, we are running around 50 to 60 patient tests a day with our COVID flu and RSV testing,” said Iona Grant, the testing lab manager for Think Whole Person Healthcare.
One increasingly common tool for tracking the tripledemic has been PCR testing.
PCRs can test for RSV, Influenza A and B as well as COVID at the same time. A PCR is far more accurate than at-home tests.
“This is very useful. Fortunately, we are able to treat for Influenza or COVID-19 depending on someone’s circumstances,” said Rothgeb.
Rapid PCR tests can give results within hours, cutting down the time it takes from diagnosis to treatment.
They do require a visit to your provider and do require sticking something up your nose but thankfully the test doesn’t take long.
“It is a little uncomfortable but fortunately it's a quick test, takes just mere seconds,” said Rothgeb.
So far the 5,656 lab-confirmed cases of influenza A in Douglas County since October 1st, 4966 were confirmed using PCR tests.
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