Rising COVID-19 cases combined with other respiratory diseases could mean a tough winter season for Australians. / (min cost $ 0 ) or signup to continue reading Dr Paul Griffin, an infectious disease physician and clinical microbiologist at the University of Queensland, said healthcare systems could be faced with multiple viral and bacterial infections. While COVID-19 was escalating quickly, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV) and influenza had currently plateaued, things could change, Dr Griffin said.
"Flu could continue to climb from here, and COVID is not yet at its peak, so that could mean we are in for a really challenging winter," he said. He said there were also higher rates of Mycoplasma, a bacterial respiratory infection and Pertussis, whooping cough, than typically expected at this time of year. COVID-19 was the current cause of the greatest number of cases and hospitalisations, compared with RSV and influenza, Dr Griffin said.
He said an increase in multiple viruses could put pressure on hospitals. "If we have unusually high season of even an individual one of these pathogens, let alone a combination of them, it does put a big strain on the healthcare system," he said. "Each and every winter, our healthcare systems, which essentially operate at capacity at baseline, are stretched.
" Dr Griffin said staffing levels could also be affected by increased rates of viruses in the community. Released on May 24, the Australian Respiratory Surveillance Report foun.
