‘Triple Demic’ continues to falter: Flu cases down 26% in past two weeks – while confirmed RSV infections down 75%

America’s “triple demi” may soon be coming to an end — as cases of both the flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) fell for the second week in a row.

In its weekly flu report today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed 33,041 infections in the week ending December 17, down 26 percent on a weekly basis.

RSV cases also fell further this week to 3,554 cases — a 76 percent drop since the first week of December and a low since mid-September.

The report comes days after a CDC spokesman warned Americans that outbreaks of respiratory illnesses could continue well into winter this year.

As flu and RSV decline, Covid begins to increase – along with the bacterial infection Strep A.

RSV cases continued to decline this week, falling to 3,554 confirmed infections. This is half as many cases as in the previous week and the lowest weekly total of infections since mid-September

Fears of so-called “tripleemia” first surfaced in the summer, when Australia and New Zealand – whose winters coincide with the American summer – experienced devastating flu seasons.

For two years, experts have pointed to lockdowns, mask requirements and other pandemic orders as the reason this year’s flu season has been more brutal than previous ones.

This is America’s worst flu season since the 2009 swine flu pandemic – and experts have been warning for months that it will be a long and harsh winter.

The CDC warns that the respiratory virus madness could continue to spread for MONTHS

CDC believes infection rates will remain extremely high

At one point earlier this month, hospitals were at their most overcrowded during the pandemic.

However, the latest CDC update shows that the number of cases is declining and continuing as both the flu and RSV burn through.

The 33,041 flu cases are the lowest weekly infection rate since the week ending November 19.

That’s a 27 percent drop from the flu outbreak’s peak of 45,792 cases in the week ending Dec. 3.

These numbers are grossly underestimated as many cases go undetected as Americans endure symptoms of the virus at home.

However, flu case positivity remained constant, with 24 percent of swabs detecting the virus. This is only a small drop from the 25 percent a week earlier.

The flu does not pose a threat to the majority of Americans, but it can commonly affect the elderly, young children, and those with compromised immune systems.

The number of states experiencing severe flu transmission is also decreasing.

In the most recent CDC update, 22 states recorded “very high” flu activity — down from 25 the previous week.

Six states record the highest transmission rates, up from eight last week.

It wasn’t the only annual virus to re-emerge this fall, only to return to a peak in late fall.

Officials reported 3,554 new RSV cases in the week ending Dec. 17, less than half the 8,366 recorded a week earlier — and a 76 percent drop in 14 days.

Test positivity rates are also declining, with 6.5 percent of Pap smears returning and showing infection.

According to the CDC, 22 states are experiencing “very high” flu activity, up from 25 last week. Only six states have the highest rates of flu transmission

The virus does not pose a major threat to adults, but it can cause serious illness or even death in young children and older adults.

Officials have assured the public in recent weeks that RSV has begun to decline. Earlier this week, however, the CDC warned that the light at the end of the tunnel may be further than it seems.

A CDC spokesperson told Fox 5 DC, “We expect high levels of respiratory virus activity to continue for several weeks, possibly even months.”

Children have been hit the hardest by these viruses, and it has gotten so bad that some parents are struggling to get basic medication for them.

Earlier this week, CVS said it would limit in-store and online purchases of children’s fever and pain medications — including Tylenol, Advil and Motrin — to two boxes each.

Walgreens has limited online purchases of the drugs to six purchases at a time, while there is no limit on personal use.

Both CVS and Walgreens do not carry children’s Tylenol online. Several New York City pharmacies monitored by DailyMail.com also did not have the drug available for in-store pickup.

Anecdotal stories of parents across the country struggling to get their children’s medication have also circulated on social media.

Some hospitals are also feeling this shortage. Tamiflu, the primary drug used by hospitals to treat the flu, is hard to find in some parts of the country.

While the Food and Drug Administration does not officially list the drug as a statewide shortage, regional shortages have forced HHS to act.

The top US health agency announced on Wednesday that it would make additional supplies of Tamiflu available to hospitals from the country’s national stockpile.

This stockpile is a collection of medicines stored by the government in case of a national emergency.

“Today we are taking steps to enable each jurisdiction to meet the increased demand for Tamiflu this flu season,” said Dr. Xavier Becerra, Secretary of HHS, in a statement.

“State stockpiles can be leveraged and when jurisdictions need access to the strategic national stockpile, they now have it to respond to the current seasonal flu outbreak.”

As the other viruses falter, Covid takes its place. National case numbers have risen by five percent in the past two weeks to 70,435 per day.

However, the number of deaths did not keep pace, falling eight percent to 422 over the same period.

Case numbers are also significantly down from where they were around Christmas last year, as the country recorded 200,000 daily infections during the first Omicron outbreak.