Corona Calls

Corona Calls for 12.15.2025 – The Illness Outlook for the Holidays

Discussed in this episode:

  • Trendlines for respiratory illnesses that spread this time of year:
    • National COVID rates are low but rising in some states, especially in the Northeast.
    • Influenza rates are rising in line with previous years. One area of concern: vaccination rates for influenza are dropping, which could lead to more severe cases and deaths.
    • RSV hospitalizations are down dramatically, largely thanks to the RSV vaccine approved in mid-2023.
    • Levels of rhinovirus, which causes the common cold, are extremely elevated in Brian’s upper respiratory tract.

Corona Calls will be on a holiday hiatus until 2026. To send us a question in advance of next week’s show, write to: [email protected]

Tune in live Monday mornings at 7:30am Pacific at kpfa.org.

Podcast music credit:  Now Son by Podington Bear, licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.