'Tripledemic' Thanksgiving Fears Hit NYC: See The Latest Virus Data

NEW YORK CITY — A viral triple threat could be coming to Thanksgiving dinner in New York City, new data shows.

Influenza and respiratory syncytial virus — or RSV — infections rose yet again across the city, with each nearing 5,000 lab-detected cases in a single week, according to a new health department report.

And while COVID-19 cases remained officially "stable," the city is averaging roughly 2,400 new cases a day, data shows.

The latest data hints that experts' fears of a "tridemic" or "tripledemic" — in which COVID-19, influenza and RSV all peak near-simultaneously — could well come to during the holiday season. Gov. Kathy Hochul warned New Yorkers Wednesday to take precautions for Thanksgiving gatherings.

"As families gather to celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow, New Yorkers should remain vigilant and continue to use all available tools to keep themselves, their loved ones and their communities safe and healthy,"she said in a statement.

"Be sure to stay up to date on vaccine doses, and test before gatherings or travel. If you test positive, talk to your doctor about potential treatment options."

But many New Yorkers, and Americans more broadly, appear to be growing increasingly tired of taking such precautions.

White House officials this week announced a renewed push for Americans to get a "bivalent" COVID-19 vaccine booster that protects against the omicron strain and the original coronavirus.

Only about 13 percent of U.S. adults so far have gotten the bivalent shot. Roughly 40 percent of all New Yorkers have received at least one booster dose, city data shows, although it doesn't show bivalent doses.

Officials worry that many people are reluctant to get vaccinated or boosted because of a torrent of misinformation about the shots, despite evidence that they're safe and have saved millions of lives.

“You can decide to trust America's physicians or you can trust some random dude on Twitter,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 coordinator.

Getting both the COVID-19 booster and a yearly flu vaccination is something health officials have stressed even before this season's swirl of viruses.

Cases of influenza have nearly tripled statewide in the past three weeks and hospitalizations have doubled, according to data.

About 10 percent of all specimens tested for influenza in New York City were positive during the week of Nov. 6 to 12, data shows.

RSV's spread appeared to slow slightly during the week of Nov. 5 through 12, but weekly cases hit roughly 5,000, data shows — with many more undetected cases likely.

COVID-19 positivity stands at 10.6 percent citywide, as of Wednesday, according to city health data.

Health officials urge New Yorkers to get tested before Thanksgiving gatherings. People can pick up free at-home rapid antigen tests at city museums, zoos, libraries and other locations throughout the city, many of which also offer free masks. Locations can be found at NYC At-Home COVID-19 Test Kit Pickup.

New Yorkers who are COVID-negative should also be mindful of other viruses, officials said. Sniffles, a light cough and fatigue are all signs of a contagious illness.

"While mild for you, they could cause serious illness for babies or people who have weakened immunity," a health department release states. "This is especially true for RSV, which can seriously impact infants 0-12 months. If you don’t feel well, stay home."