A survey of 1,559 adults conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania found that 35% of Americans worry that they or someone in their family will get respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in the next 3 months. The same percentage (35%) said they are worried that they or someone in their family will get COVID-19 in the next 3 months, up from 21% in August 2023. Flu concerns are somewhat higher, however, with 39% worried that they or someone in their family will contract the seasonal flu in the next 3 months. The “tripledemic” of influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and RSV is producing an upward trend in hospitalizations and deaths, according to federal data.
Which is worse? There’s little agreement among respondents on which virus is perceived to cause the most severe illness. COVID-19 leads the survey at 22%, and 31% of respondents also say they personally know someone who seems to have long-term health complications from COVID-19. Additionally, 13% say RSV is the worst, and 7% say seasonal flu is the worst. More than 40% feel the 3 viruses are equally likely to cause severe illness, and 16% replied that they are unsure.