CDC Says Rhinovirus and Enterovirus Are Rising. Here’s What’s Going Around Right Now

People are coughing at the pharmacy, at church, at your grandkids’ school pickup. If it feels like everyone you know is getting sick, you’re not imagining it. At Big Laps, we like to know what’s going around. Here’s what the most recent CDC numbers show, through early October.

What’s the CDC Seeing?

The CDC recently announced that enterovirus and rhinovirus are on the rise across the country. Both are normal at this point in the year. Non-polio enteroviruses usually cause mild, cold-like illness and are at their peak in summer and fall.

Overall levels are still low, FOX 5 NY reports, citing the CDC. However, certain viruses that lead to cold-like symptoms are on a steady rise.

Meet Rhinovirus

The CDC says rhinoviruses cause most colds in the United States. Rhinoviruses are among more than 200 viruses that cause similar symptoms. They give you a cough, congestion and a sore throat. And like most respiratory viruses, they spread from person to person through droplets when someone who’s ill coughs or sneezes.

They can also get in when you touch a contaminated surface and then touch your eyes, nose or mouth. That’s why it’s crucial you wash your hands and clean surfaces that you share with other people.

You might ask yourself: why now? Well, it’s because most people are indoors and school is now in session once more.

What Else Is Going Around?

The latest CDC flu report states that flu activity is now rising in many areas of the United States. But overall, it’s still low. In the week that ended on October 3, the CDC logged 3,334 lab-confirmed flu hospitalizations.

COVID-19 is declining nationally, though it’s still going up in some places. Group A strep picked up when schools reopened, and it’s now starting to fall.

Strep is caused by bacteria, so it needs antibiotics. Colds are caused by viruses, and the CDC says antibiotics won’t do anything for them.

RSV is the other fall virus to keep an eye on. Older adults are among the people it hits hardest, along with babies.

Is It a Cold, the Flu, or COVID?

You can’t tell from symptoms alone. They’re very similar, so the only way to know is a test. Once you have the result, you and your doctor can decide whether treatment makes sense.

Adults 65 and older are at higher risk of getting seriously ill. So is anyone with a chronic heart or lung condition, a weakened immune system or diabetes.

If that’s you, call your doctor as soon as symptoms start. Don’t wait to see how it goes. Antiviral treatments for flu and COVID work best when you start them in the first day or two. After that, they don’t help nearly as much.

How to Protect Yourself

• Wash Your Hands: Do this with soap and water for 20 seconds after you’ve been on public transport, in a shop, or anywhere that has door handles and handrails.
• Clean Surfaces: Wipe down the surfaces that many people touch, like door handles, light switches, remotes and phones.
• Stay Home When Sick: Have symptoms? Stay home if you can. It’s how these things spread.

When Can You Go Back to Work or Out in Public?

CDC’s respiratory virus guidance says that you can head back to your normal life if your symptoms have been getting better overall, and you’ve been fever-free for at least 24 hours without needing to take any medication that reduces fever.

FAQs

Is there any vaccine for rhinovirus?

At this moment, there’s no vaccine for rhinovirus or for the other 200-odd viruses behind most colds, so hand-washing, cleaning shared surfaces and better ventilation are what you’ve got.

How long does a cold last?

Colds typically last for less than 7 days. Symptoms usually hit their peak two to three days after infection.