longisland

Public health experts fear there could be a surge in respiratory viruses following holiday gatherings and New Year's Eve celebrations.

The concern continues to be flu, COVID-19 and RSV.

<b>GUIDE: <a href="https://longisland.news12.com/guide-top-8-healthy-tips-for-the-new-year">Top 8 healthy tips for the New
Year</a></b>

<b>News 12</b>'s Elizabeth Hashagen was joined by Dr. Daniel Griffin for a conversation on your health. 

News 12's Elizabeth Hashagen was joined by Dr. Daniel Griffin for a conversation on your health.

New Jersey

NJ Weather Stories

Weather stories

NJ | Weather

NJFORECAST

We do have warmer temperatures today. Yes, that's right. Mild temperatures, not as active winds thankfully. And we'll notice the winds out of the southwest will add on to that mild condition and high temperature for today reaching 50 degrees. Some of us, even 52 New York, you'll notice also our weather icons plenty of sunshine this afternoon. We'll notice some passing clouds, but that's it as far as you know, what can linger across our skies tomorrow though. You'll notice those rain showers into the afternoon in New Brunswick, 51 degrees. You'll expect the same across Edison and Newark 52 as well. In some locations though. We'll notice the rain arriving a little bit on the earlier side. So around 12 and to two, but that's for northern portions of the state across the state though. So central northern as well as southern portions, especially across the shore four and into seven o'clock into the afternoon, evening time frame could be expected to see that wet weather. How much, not much we're noticing trace to upwards, you know, 1/10 to 10th of an inch. So that's not significant rainfall. We're not noticing too much of major impacts with that today. It's sunny and chilly but feeling seasonable all in all we're supposed to be right where we're going to 50 degrees as a high temperature, 52 for some spots as well. Tomorrow we wake up into the thirties, we notice some clouds filtering in right around nine o'clock into lunch time. That's when we'll notice a lot of the system just, you know, breaking apart into two pieces first across Sussex and Warren County as well, North Bergen Counties as well. Then four o'clock, it's central southern portions and northern corridor, not as substantial as in the first round of rain, but nicely exiting right around seven and eight o'clock, calm conditions heading into the overnight. We start off on the dry side, too, more sunshine for Saturday, but it doesn't last for too long. The clouds will be back into play as well as those late showers arriving filtering in across for Sunday and Sunday. Then it becomes a Monday thing as well. So we're heading into the fifties, feeling so much better, even our overnight lows staying stuck into the forties.

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Weather

Brooklyn

BK | Weather

BXBKWX113023NOON

Another check of that hyperlocal forecast. Definitely not as cold out there today and we have the sunshine too. So overall, this is just about as good as it gets for us. Not a bad way to close off the month, but we start off December with more clouds and a chance for a shower in the evening. It's mostly light rain, but it'll probably be around through the whole evening commute. Then the weekend comes with cloudy skies kind of spritzes and a little bit of drizzle. But as you see, temperatures have been kind of hovering close to 50 this afternoon and then we drop into the mid forties for any evening plans. So 7 p.m. dinner time looks cool but not cold. We're chilly in the morning time on Friday, a few spots close to freezing, but I'm expecting us to stay above it. And then Friday afternoon, temperatures are mostly in the mid forties with high temperatures close to 50 but it won't feel as warm tomorrow. And that's because we have cloudy skies. Here's a look at four o'clock seeing very light showers pass through the city and that will continue kind of on and off for us here in the Bronx at five o'clock, still some light showers tomorrow and then closing off Friday evening with just mainly cloudy skies. Those clouds just are so stubborn. Best chance of seeing the sun is gonna be on Saturday, but there's not much of it expect clouds to build overnight. Saturday with a few showers. If you have late Saturday evening plans, I'm talking after dinner time, Sunday, rain pretty much expected at some point in the afternoon or evening. Definitely not looking like a total wash at this point. But the later you get in the day, the better bahrain risk gets. So you need the umbrella there. Probably gonna need it for Monday morning too. That's still a few days out. But at least temperatures still look quite mild there and we're expecting high temperatures to stay only in the mid forties from the middle of next week. It's gonna be a little cool.

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Westchester

WC | Weather

HVFORECAST

As you can see from Lisa's report there. Not a bad afternoon, but we're looking ahead to Friday and the weekend, Matt, what's in store. Yeah, a couple of rain showers. By the time we get into tomorrow afternoon, it is not going to be anything too crazy though. And let's enjoy this great weather while we have it. After those really cold days that we had, uh over the past two days today, temperatures have been right around the middle of the upper forties. It's felt quite nice outside. There will be partly cloudy skies overhead through the afternoon into this evening. Temperatures will start to fall back into the upper thirties this evening with just partly cloudy skies and dry weather through the overnight. Now tomorrow starts off nice and dry. There will be breaks of sun during the early morning. I would suggest you have the winter coat, the gloves and the hat. Tomorrow morning, temperatures will start off mostly in the lower to middle thirties, but clouds will race in towards mid to late morning tomorrow. And some spotty rain showers will be around afternoon time and through about five or six o'clock in the east this is not a lot of rain. Rainfall totals tomorrow afternoon will be less than a quarter of an inch and the last of those showers will push east of the lower Hudson Valley after around six or 630 in the evening. It shouldn't even be really anything that's slowing you down too much on the roads. But those road conditions could be just a little bit wet at times later in the day. tomorrow, middle forties for those highs today. Uh, you certainly needed the sunglasses today, but have the heavier coat and the hat for later on this evening. And overnight add the gloves too as these temperatures drop back into the lower and middle thirties under partly cloudy skies. So a nice dry start tomorrow, temperatures make another run at near 50 degrees, but just a few spotty showers will be with us through the afternoon and early evening as well. Mostly cloudy can't run a lot of sprinkles Saturday but not bad. A better chance for a couple of showers on Sunday. Most of next week looks dry but turning a bit colder with highs in the upper forties again by Tuesday, low forties for next Wednesday and Thursday.

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Long Island

LI | Weather

LIWeathernoon12

And we've got some great news in the forecast for you. If you're a fan of sunshine and mild weather, we're back into the upper forties and low fifties for the next couple of days. But today is the last day with ample sunshine. We're watching showers for your Friday evening commute. It's not an all day wash, but certainly in the evening we'll have light showers and then the weekend, it just kind of gloomy with a chance for some rain returning Saturday evening and then again Sunday, but we're gonna time it out in a sec first. Let's look at the rest of today. We're around 50 across the island. So the thirties, yeah, a big improvement compared to yesterday. Tonight, we do drop into the thirties. You'll need the winter jacket for Friday morning plans. We're expecting plenty of sun for the start of the day, but clouds start to push in during the afternoon on Friday. And that's the last you see of wide red sunshine until next week looks good though, as far as temperatures you're in the fifties. So the future cast on Friday, you see, not a lot of cloud cover in the morning. It looks good for recess for the kids. It looks good for the bus ride home too. Three o'clock is still mainly dry. There could be a few spots at sea sprinkles in Nassau County at three, but it's not really likely until the evening commute for five o'clock. We've got some showers rolling through the island with temperatures near 50 degrees. Ok. Temperature is good but the rain not so much. If you have late plans on Friday, the rain will clear out for you. And Saturday looks mainly dry. We're not bad on Saturday, but Sunday, I can't promise that it's dry all day. We do have some stray showers in the afternoon and evening there cooler for next week. Feeling like December, which is just about right.

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Hudson Valley

HV | Weather

Bronx

BX | Weather

Connecticut

CT | Weather

CTFORECAST

Look outside at our community camera in Bridgeport today. You see some sun out there today. It's uh warming up. Is that what I what I'm understanding from, from you Jonathan today? You got it. Definitely feeling a lot better than what we dealt with yesterday. Very much of a bitter chill in the air. But as we're getting into December a little bit of a change as we'll see rounding out the, the month, we pretty much rounding out the year. We're saying goodbye to 2023 just 31 more days. But we're seeing that sunset time actually grow from 425 today. So about 434 by the end of the year and our average high does get a little bit chilly or high of 40 is what we can expect as we round out the year. Now again, as far as what we got for today, numbers into the upper forties is what's expected just a degree or two below average. But as we continue to work our way through today, we are gonna find a little bit more cloud cover yet and still not quite as cold making our way into here tonight. Those temperatures are going to fall off down into your thirties. Lots of sunshine for the first half of your Friday and the first half of your Friday looks pretty good. Clouds do start to fill in for your afternoon and then we'll start to see a few scattered spotty showers. Really a better chance at all of us to get engulfed into some rain as we're looking closer to that commute home right around 456 o'clock. So keep that in mind. Maybe you are heading out to new cane and to catch the Christmas story. Um Play, you are gonna wanna have that umbrella. Saturday might be a better time to head out there because we're looking pretty dry. Any events that you may have planned or anything you got in your agenda for your Saturday will be a lot better. It's gonna be the better the two weekend days we're gonna see some sunshine and numbers are gonna hold into the lower fifties feeling actually pretty good to open up the weekend and then we'll start to see a change as we push forward into your Sunday. So plans for the second half of the weekend. Maybe you wanna rearrange things because we are gonna watch some showers again. A little bit unsettled for the opening of December as we work our way into the start of next week, we're still gonna watch for a chance of some rain for your Monday. Maybe a little bit of some mixing and flakes for areas up north as well.

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1230LINewNormalGriffinHealth_2022-12-30-09-42-10

The New Normal: Concerns over a surge in respiratory viruses

So we have obviously vaccines for quite some time now. We've got good treatments that are out there and available. And we also, you know coupled with that we've had so many people that have been infected at this point um but more than 2500 people a day continue to die of COVID in America Dr. Griffin. Yeah, so 2500 a week. A little bit better than I make that mistake too. But no a little better than 2500 a day. But still over 2000 people dying a week. And what is what is going on? You know, as you mentioned vaccines, we have tools um and we've a lot of folks have survived an infection which is a way to gain some degree of immunity. It's it's a little dangerous, right? It's like the sky diving, you know, it's one way to get down. Um but there are other ways um you know, those things are helping us, right? And we're seeing in china what happens when you don't vaccinate when you don't apply treatment to your most vulnerable individuals. And and in many ways that that's what we're seeing now, we're seeing um older folks um you know folks who are as as paul off it like say elderly elderly, 75 over. Um you know, even though you've been vaccinated and vaccines vaccines prevent disease, they don't prevent infection and hopefully we'll hit that a few times. I think we we fell down on education um with that point, but um people still get infected and if you're if you're frail there, I use that term then you know that first viral week, you may have a tough time. You may not be able to do well at home, You may not be able to keep stuff down. You may end up in the hospital. Um And then I love that clip that you threw in with the cardiologist was like to give cardiologists and surgeons a hard time maybe because they make much more money than us and drive nicer cars. But anyway, um you know, after that first week, um you know, you can progress into that inflammatory stage. We remember the old days of lots of oxygen and ICU and people on ventilators, what we're seeing now in China. But then even after that, um you know this inflammation of the blood vessels, the cardiovascular events, the strokes, the heart attacks. We see that with other restaurant pathogens as well. Um but I know that that's you know, we still have um you know, all this out there and we're seeing now, not just covid, but people coming in with, they've got Covid and RsV. Covid and the flu. Um you know, and you know, we are human beings, we love to get together. We love to be with other people. Um this weekend is gonna be a big time for that. It's a New Year's Eve party. I'll be at this big crowded event called staying home. We're not going to find you in Times Square. No, no, I won't be there. Um but no, and people are going to be together and then, you know, we introduce that risk and we're seeing a lot, right? We're seeing a lot of flu a lot of respiratory and that's what we see this time of year. Yeah. I mean, you take look at the numbers after thanksgiving and Justin Covid the uptick in cases with 58% you know, and now obviously we've had, we've had christmas and people have been traveling, getting stuck at those airports and then making those plans to then gather for New Year's. So is flew the top concern at this point is covid the top concern at this point. So I think this is a great question, right? Because a lot of people, I would say we're scaring the wrong people and I think we've gotten to that at some point is right now flu has bypassed covid for causes of hospitalizations. Um and you know, and I think this is this great reality of the tools. If you're if you're vaccinated, if you follow the advice on getting vaccinated, maybe if you've had prior infections, it's multiple at this point for a lot of folks. Um you know, if you get the right treatment and you don't do something harmful. Um then, you know, you start comparing, you know, what are my risk of getting an influenza infection. What are my risk of getting a Covid infection right now fluid is winning as far as a higher risk issue. Mhm. And we do know that so many people, you know, kind of just shrugged off this idea of getting that by violent booster. Only 15% of those eligible for the covid booster shot that targets you know that omicron variant have gotten it. And we actually spoke with the ceo of of a very large nursing home um conglomerate. So let's listen to what he had to say For 2023 is that we all embrace the vaccine and the promise that it holds ahead. You know, it was, it was interesting to me because I I'm wondering how how are the nursing homes able to handle that because as you were saying, you know, you take a look at the population and so much of you know, the severe disease, a lot of it has to do with age at this point. Yeah. I mean the single biggest risk factor for a bad outcome with a restaurant infection is is age. Um you know, and a lot of people we care about probably a number of people listening this morning are over 65 or over 75. Um a significant number of people here in America are in nursing homes rehabilitation centers. Um and clearly these are people that were encouraging to get that booster. Um we now have data, you know, we were gonna last forever this protection, but you are getting a boost exactly in the name there. Um and at least for some period of time you're going to reduce your risk of of severe disease, of ending up needing to be in that hospital of needing oxygen support, things like that. So um yeah, it is a shame how limited the uptake has been in the boosters and you know, it's not too late, it's not too late to get your flu shot. It's not too late to get that booster. And what about packs, love it? Is this treatment really effective and and are enough people using it? So it is, it is incredibly effective. Not enough people are using it. Um you know, the numbers we saw initially when we were looking at, you know, unvaccinated, highest risk individuals was close to a 90% reduction in people progressing and ending up not surviving the infection. That's um you know, there's been a lot of, you know, back and forth, I think people not understanding the natural history of disease. Um you know, inventing something called apex 11 rebound, which by the way, that's like the loch ness monster, It does not exist. Um so um incredibly effective and then even looking at people who are vaccinated, um probably about a 50% reduction in ending up, as I mentioned in the hospital, maybe a 70-80% reduction in not surviving the infection. So an incredibly effective therapy, but unfortunately, so much buzz in the mainstream media where even clinicians are confused about just how incredibly effective this medication can be. Does this antiviral drugs stop the virus from replicating in your cells. So it does, that's what it does. So really critical during that first week of infection, during that viral phase is to really shut down, really reduce the amount of viral replication um which would go on and trigger that cytokine storm. So it's not going to get rid of the virus, it's not going to turn you negative sooner necessarily. Um you know, maybe in high risk patients you feel better a little bit quicker. But the main thing this is doing is preventing that major cytokine storm, that major inflammatory second week search. You know, you and I first started talking now years ago we had so many unknowns about the vaccines and and we we weren't able to extrapolate any data because the data wasn't available yet. People had to take it and we had to really see so much. But now people have taken it and now time has passed. So what do we know, what answers have we been able to glean about these vaccines? Yeah, so I have to say this is a very exciting time for science, right? I feel like this is you know where we were 70 years ago, people should be as excited about like what science brought us back then as it brought us now. You know, we went in about a year from having really no tools and just being confused and desperate and you know, here in new york, 2000 people a day dying, right? I mean, you know, we talked about 2000 people a week in the country. We were 2000 a day right here in new york, horrible dark times. Um, the vaccines have really changed that. Um, you know, the initial data has really held at this point, an individual gets three doses of the vaccine or maybe it's sort of a hybrid where you know, a couple, two or three doses of vaccine, maybe infection throw it in there. Um, and we are really seeing a reduction. I mean the virus is everywhere, but we're down to a fraction of the number of deaths we saw before vaccines tremendous. We have billions of people have gotten them and now we even have medications to throw on top of that so we really can get that number that, that 2000 a week is not low enough. We can get that even lower if everyone sort of gets on board with the science. But there seems to be this vaccine skepticism which then kind of, you know, spills over into other public health priorities. Yeah, I mean, it's it's a challenge. I mean, unfortunately, there's there's big money in being anti science, there's big money in selling, you know, nutraceuticals and alternative, you know, pills. You know, you know, click on this button and send us 29 99 you get a million people to do. That's a lot of money in the anti science driving this. So um it's really tough. We have better science, we have better knowledge about these vaccines that we really have about other things. But I think we fell down on the education part which I touched on early on. And and you know, one of the questions from one of your listeners was, you know, when when did vaccines stop preventing us from getting infected? When did they only prevent disease? That's always been the case. But we haven't communicated that very well in flu The right people say I got the shot, I still got flu, but it you end up in the hospital, did you die? You know, 90% connection between I got the flu shot and then I felt sick with flu like symptoms thinking I then got the flu. But if you look at the way that they're made it, that that doesn't happen. Yeah, that that is true. You cannot get influenza from the flu shot if you do, if you can actually do that, call me up. We've got a Nobel prize

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