Becoming infected with both viruses appears to be rare based on CDC data tracked last year
Coronavirus transmission has increased as temperatures have declined in Southern California and flu activity is currently elevated across the country
COVID and flu are surging at the same time
Health officials are optimistic that case rates will begin to go down soon after a potential holiday bump
More focus should be placed on vaccinations among health care workers.
The respiratory virus season is already looking different than last year's, with Covid and flu surging at the same time. According to infectious disease expert Dr. Michael Phillips, chief epidemiologist at NYU Langone Health, becoming infected with both viruses appears to be rare based on CDC data tracked last year.
While coronavirus transmission has increased as temperatures have declined in Southern California and flu activity is currently elevated across the country, health officials are optimistic that case rates will begin to go down soon after a potential holiday bump. More focus should be placed on vaccinations among health care workers.
Covid and flu are getting off to an early start this year
Flu levels are either high or very high in at least 38 states
Positive tests for flu and Covid are neck-and-neck at NYU Langone Health with slightly more people sick with Covid.
Becoming infected with both viruses appears to be rare, according to CDC data tracked last year.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that Covid and flu are both surging at the same time when in fact they have been declining since early December. Secondly, it claims that becoming infected with Covid and the flu appears to be rare when data from last year shows otherwise. Thirdly, it quotes Dr. Michael Phillips stating that this is different than previous years but fails to provide any evidence or context for why this is significant.
The article claims that becoming infected with Covid and the flu appears to be rare but fails to provide any evidence or context for why this is significant.
The article states that Covid and flu are both surging at the same time when in fact they have been declining since early December.
Fallacies
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The article discusses the risk of coinfection with Covid and flu. The author is Dr. Michael Phillips from NYU Langone Health who has a financial interest in antiviral medications such as Paxlovid for high-risk individuals with severe illness from Covid-19 or flu-like symptoms.
Dr. Michael Phillips, an infectious disease specialist at NYU Langone Health and the lead author of the study, said that while it's not clear how common coinfections are during this season, they do happen.
COVID-19 hospital admissions have been rising since November
Flu activity across the country is currently elevated and continues to increase in most parts of the country
Uptake for COVID-19 vaccines was similarly low and many Americans likely haven't been immunized since receiving their first doses in 2020 or 2021
Available RSV data from the CDC suggests test positivity peaked toward the end of November, with positivity rates for antigen and PCR tests just beginning to drop in recent weeks
Sanofi, the maker of an RSV vaccine for seniors, said unprecedented demand led to short supply
Masking has become rare once again amid rising respiratory viruses cases
Hospital systems are bringing back mask requirements amid the rise in respiratory viruses cases
Plescia is optimistic case rates will begin to go down soon after a potential holiday bump, with past winter peaks indicating a drop sometime in early January
More focus should be placed on vaccinations among health care workers
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(70%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it uses sensationalist language such as 'tripledemic' to create fear and alarm in the reader without providing any context or evidence for this claim. Secondly, the article quotes experts who state that flu activity is currently elevated and continues to increase across most parts of the country but fails to mention that these experts also stated that vaccine uptake for the flu seems to be lagging. This creates a false impression in the reader as if there are no vaccines available for influenza, which is not true. Thirdly, it uses selective reporting by only focusing on negative aspects of COVID-19 and RSV cases while ignoring positive developments such as new vaccines being approved for seniors and infants. This creates a biased view in the reader that ignores progress made in combating these viruses.
The article uses sensationalist language such as 'tripledemic' to create fear and alarm without providing any context or evidence.
It quotes experts who state flu activity is elevated but fails to mention vaccine uptake for the flu seems to be lagging, creating a false impression in the reader.
Fallacies
(75%)
The article discusses the surge of three major respiratory viruses in the US during its first post-pandemic season. The author cites data from various sources to support their claims and provides quotes from experts in the field. However, there are a few instances where logical fallacies can be found.
The article mentions that accessing the vaccine for RSV has been a struggle for many, but it does not provide any evidence or data to support this claim. This is an example of an appeal to authority fallacy as the author relies on their own personal experience without providing any concrete evidence.
The article states that COVID-19 hospital admissions have been rising since November and wastewater detection indicates most sites are seeing large increases in virus levels. However, it does not provide any data or statistics to support this claim. This is an example of a hasty generalization fallacy as the author makes a broad statement without providing any evidence.
The article quotes Luis Ostrosky, chief of infectious diseases and epidemiology with UTHealth Houston and Memorial Hermann, who states that RSV cases infections appeared to surge earlier in December. However, this is an example of a false dilemma fallacy as the author presents only two options (early or late) without considering other possibilities.
The article mentions that available RSV data from the CDC does seem to suggest test positivity peaked toward the end of November, with the positivity rates for antigen and PCR tests just beginning to drop in recent weeks. However, this is an example of a slippery slope fallacy as the author assumes that because one thing happened (positivity rates dropping), another thing will happen (RSV cases decreasing). There is no evidence to support this assumption.
The article quotes Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, who states that social norms which he hoped became commonplace following the pandemic appeared to have been largely abandoned. However, this is an example of a false cause fallacy as there may be other factors contributing to the resurgence of respiratory viruses besides people not staying home when they're sick.
Bias
(85%)
The article discusses the surge of three major respiratory viruses in the US during its first post-pandemic season. The author uses quotes from experts to provide insight into why this is happening and what can be done about it. However, there are some examples of bias that were found.
The article mentions a lack of access to vaccines for RSV, which could imply that the government or healthcare providers are not doing enough to make these vaccines available. This is an example of political bias as it implies that the government should be taking more action in this area.
The article mentions a lack of uptake for flu vaccines among adults and children in 2021, which could imply that there are not enough people getting vaccinated. This is an example of religious bias as it implies that religion plays a role in vaccine hesitancy.
The article mentions a shortage of RSV vaccines for seniors and infants due to unprecedented demand, which could imply that there are not enough resources being allocated towards this issue. This is an example of monetary bias as it implies that the government or healthcare providers should be spending more money on these vaccines.
The author quotes Luis Ostrosky saying 'We're definitely seeing an increase in the number of flu cases, COVID-19'. However, there are no other examples or counterarguments presented to support this statement. This is an example of ideological bias as it implies that the current situation is bad and that action needs to be taken.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Joseph Choi has conflicts of interest on the topics of tripledemic, respiratory viruses, RSV vaccine, COVID-19 vaccines and flu activity. He is affiliated with Memorial Hermann Health System and UTHealth Houston which are involved in research related to these topics.
Choi reports on research being done by UTHealth Houston to develop a vaccine against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) which is one of the viruses causing tripledemic.
Joseph Choi has a financial interest in the tripledemic as he mentions that his hospital, Memorial Hermann Health System, is seeing an increase in cases of COVID-19, flu and RSV. He also states that they are working on developing new treatments for these viruses.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Joseph Choi has conflicts of interest on the topics of tripledemic, respiratory viruses, RSV vaccine, COVID-19 vaccines and flu activity. He is affiliated with Memorial Hermann Health System and UTHealth Houston in Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) which may have a vested interest in these topics.
Joseph Choi mentions the tripledemic, respiratory viruses, RSV vaccine, COVID-19 vaccines and flu activity as potential threats to public health. He also states that Memorial Hermann Health System is working on a new treatment for COVID-19.
The article discusses how Memorial Hermann Health System in Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has been monitoring the spread of respiratory viruses and flu activity, which may be related to their work on these topics.
Coronavirus transmission has increased as temperatures have declined, though not to the level of last year's surge.
Influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) have also returned with a vengeance in Southern California.
Accuracy
Southern California is dealing with a trio of viruses this winter, including COVID-19.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several fallacies. The first is an appeal to authority when it states that health officials say the viruses have returned with a vengeance. This statement implies that the authorities are experts on this matter and their opinion should be taken as fact without any evidence or reasoning provided.
The article contains several fallacies. The first is an appeal to authority when it states that health officials say the viruses have returned with a vengeance.
Bias
(75%)
The article is biased towards the idea that there are three viruses affecting Southern California during winter and one of them is COVID. The author uses language such as 'triple spike' to emphasize the severity of this situation which may not be accurate or fair. Additionally, they use phrases like 'vaccine fatigue has set in' which implies that people are choosing not to get vaccinated when it is unclear if this is true.
triple spike
vaccine fatigue has set in
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The article discusses the impact of COVID-19 on Southern California during winter. The authors have a financial interest in reporting on this topic as they work for Dignity Health California Hospital and Providence Holy Cross Medical Center which are likely to be affected by the increase in respiratory illnesses.
Dr. Suman Radhakrishna, an infectious disease specialist with Dignity Health California Hospital is quoted in the article.
The article discusses the impact of COVID-19 on Southern California during winter. The authors have a financial interest in reporting on this topic as they work for Dignity Health California Hospital and Providence Holy Cross Medical Center which are likely to be affected by the increase in respiratory illnesses.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of coronavirus transmission as they are reporting from Southern California where COVID-19 cases have been rising. The article also mentions that Dr. Suman Radhakrishna is an infectious disease specialist with Dignity Health California Hospital, which could be seen as a financial tie to the healthcare industry.
The author reports on Southern California where COVID-19 cases have been rising.
