‘Nasty respiratory disease’ on the rise in Snohomish County as we enter winter months

SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. — Snohomish County health officials are sounding the alarm as RSV cases in the county are on the rise.

Health Officer James Lewis told KIRO 7 that the county has reached its threshold number of cases, and they are now recommending that people wear masks in healthcare settings.

“Once we get to this many ER visits or this percentage of all ER visits is past this point for flu and RSV, then we are fairly confident there’s going to be a pretty high peak and come back down and at that point we should start masking to block that peak as much as possible,” Lewis said.

Pediatrician Dr. Stephen Shlafer said RSV season is happening earlier than it normally does.

“With COVID, we weren’t hanging around each other, and so now we’re getting viruses at different times, RSV at different times, it’s not the same pattern,” Shlafer said. “It’s a very, very, very nasty respiratory disease. It’s one of the viruses that gets into your lungs.”

Paul Tratow’s son Keith is just 17 months old. He said he’s concerned about the rise in cases.

“He hasn’t been through daycare in the winter before, so I guess that makes you a little cautious or nervous as a parent that he could get RSV or pick up something from daycare,” Tratow said.

Lewis said masking is one of the best methods to stop the spread of the disease.

Severe symptoms to look out for include fever, severe cough, wheezing, difficulty breathing, or if the skin turns a bluish color. Shlafer said a cough is the biggest tell.

“It’s constant, it’s day and nightm and what puts those kids in the hospital is they’re coughing so much they can’t feed,” Shlafer said.

If you or your child has any of these symptoms, seek medical attention right away.

©2023 Cox Media Group