Top doctors weigh in as respiratory virus seasons looms

As Southwestern Ontario and the rest of the province gets set to enter respiratory virus season, public health offices are preparing for the spread of illnesses, including COVID-19 and influenza. Here are some things to know about the risks ahead.

WHICH RESPIRATORY VIRUSES ARE MOST CLOSELY MONITORED?

The respiratory illnesses most closely monitored by the Middlesex-London Health Unit are influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), said Alex Summers, the health unit’s medical officer of health.

Summers said there are other “common cold respiratory viruses” that will circulate over respiratory illness season, but those are the “big three” the public health office monitors.