RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN (WGNS News) - Middle Tennessee hospitals are heading into the heart of respiratory‑virus season, and the latest CDC data confirms what many families are already feeling it. The flu is hitting hard, RSV is climbing, and COVID‑19 — while still lower than last winter — is steadily rising. The CDC’s Respiratory Illness Data Channel shows flu activity is high and increasing, RSV is moderate and increasing, and COVID‑19 remains low but rising across Tennessee. Middle Tennessee hospitals are reporting the same trend, with emergency departments seeing very high RSV, high flu, and moderate but climbing COVID‑19 cases.

Doctors say this pattern is typical for early January, especially after holiday gatherings, but the speed of the increase has caught some clinics off guard. Maury Regional Health reported treating “a high number of patients for all three viruses” in recent days and expects the surge to continue as families return to school and work.

Are Multiple Viruses Possible?

One question many Tennesseans are asking is whether it’s possible to catch more than one virus at the same time. The answer is yes. Medical sources confirm that co‑infections do occur, especially with respiratory viruses like COVID‑19, flu, and RSV. It’s uncommon, but hospitals do see patients who test positive for two viruses at once. Norovirus — the stomach bug that’s also circulating this winter — is a different type of virus altogether, but it’s still possible to have norovirus plus a respiratory virus at the same time. It’s simply less studied.

The challenge for families is that symptoms overlap so heavily that even experienced clinicians can’t reliably tell which virus someone has based on symptoms alone. CDC‑aligned medical sources emphasize that testing is the only way to know for sure. Hospitals use multiplex PCR tests that check for COVID‑19, flu, and RSV in a single swab, while at‑home tests remain available for COVID and some mail‑in kits can test for all three.

Effect of Vaccinations

Vaccination continues to play a meaningful role this season. CDC data shows the updated COVID‑19 vaccine is providing 33% protection against ER and urgent‑care visits in adults, 45–46% protection against hospitalization in adults 65 and older, and 40% protection in immunocompromised adults in that same age group. The goal of the vaccine — reducing severe illness and keeping people out of the hospital — is being met, according to the CDC’s effectiveness numbers. Flu vaccination is also proving helpful, especially with a second wave of flu B expected later in the season, and national flu activity already rated as high and increasing.

When Do You Seek Advanced Treatment?

Doctors say most people with mild to moderate symptoms can manage at home with rest, fluids, and over‑the‑counter fever reducers. But there are clear signs that mean it’s time to seek medical care: trouble breathing, dehydration, a fever that won’t break, symptoms that improve and then suddenly worsen, or any concern in infants, older adults, or people with chronic conditions. Maury Regional Health notes that antiviral medications — Tamiflu for flu, Paxlovid for COVID, and Ribavirin for certain RSV cases — must be started within a short window after symptoms begin, so early testing matters.

Who Are MOST At Risk?

As for who is most at risk this season, the list remains consistent: infants, seniors, people who are immunocompromised, and those with chronic lung or heart conditions. These groups are more likely to experience complications, hospitalizations, or severe dehydration, especially when multiple viruses are circulating at once.

For now, Middle Tennessee doctors are urging families to stay alert, stay home when sick, and get tested if symptoms appear. With flu, RSV, COVID‑19, and norovirus all active at the same time, this winter is shaping up to be another season where knowing what you have — and acting early — makes all the difference.