MAINE, USA — While we are in the midst of holiday gatherings, the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention and hospitals in Maine are seeing an increase in respiratory infections, like COVID-19, Influenza, and RSV.
"It's kind of across the board that we're seeing increases," Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center (EMMC) physician Dr. James Jarvis said.
The latest CDC data shows Coronavirus subvariant JN.1 makes up 44.2 percent of COVID-19 infections in the country, doubling the subvariant's infection rate in the past two weeks.
It's the subvariant Dr. Jarvis suspects is driving the increase in COVID-19 cases in Maine over the past two weeks. EMMC had more patients test positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday than the hospital has seen on average per day in recent weeks, Dr. Jarvis said.
According to the Maine CDC, 96 patients are hospitalized, 14 COVID-19 patients are in critical care. and four patients are on a ventilator. Dr. Jarvis said these latest numbers show there has been a significant increase in a virus that is just one-third of the problem.
"We're almost completely full and that's a problem when we have to get those other patients in," he said.
Maine's weekly Influenza report shows there have been 10 Influenza-related hospitalizations this week, on top of 63 more so far this season.
"The biggest concern that I have with both influenza or flu and COVID is that people kind of just get weary of it and then they don't take the necessary precautions," Dr. Jarvis said. "That's the reason why we're starting to see people who get sick who said 'Oh, but I have been vaccinated.' It's just that they're not up to date on the vaccine for the strains that are circulating now."
Dr. Jarvis said that's why it's important to get the flu vaccine every year because the strains change every year. Meanwhile, he said the latest COVID-19 vaccine targets the family of the JN.1 subvariant. For those vaccinated only in the beginning stages of the vaccination process, this subvariant is not particularly covered, Dr. Jarvis said.
Earlier this month, the CDC released an alert of low vaccination rates and how these respiratory diseases could become more severe if you fall ill without a vaccine.
Dr. Jarvis said one of his biggest concerns this season are for people who are more at risk for respiratory illness. If you're gathering with someone particularly at-risk, like someone undergoing cancer treatment or someone with severe lung or heart disease, you may want to consider testing everyone for COVID-19 before gathering.
In a statement, an EMMC spokesperson wrote: "Due to the increases in respiratory illnesses in our communities our emergency departments are very busy. In addition, many hospitals including Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, are near their bed capacity. We are still here to provide care and will continue to do so, but some may experience wait times they are not accustomed to."