‘Stay Home If You’re Sick,’ CDC Director Warns in Holiday Message

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 30: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Mandy Cohen testifies before the House Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee November 30, 2023 in Washington, DC. The committee heard testimony on the topic of "Unmasking Challenges CDC Faces in Rebuilding Public Trust Amid Respiratory Illness Season." Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned people in a message on social media to stay home from holiday gatherings and events if they are feeling sick.

“We continue to see a lot of respiratory illnesses right now. Flu, COVID, and RSV are spreading in most of the country,” CDC Director Mandy Cohen said in a video posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

“And as we gather with family and friends this time of year, I want to give you a few reminders,” Ms. Cohen continued. “I know it’s hard, but if you’re feeling sick, please stay home. Avoid spreading germs to others, especially your loved ones who are at higher risk of getting very sick.”

She advised people who are not feeling well to get tested for various respiratory illnesses, reminding them that there are treatments available for COVID, flu, and pneumonia.

“Also, get tested so you know what you have and can get treatment,” Ms. Cohen added. Getting tested and treated early can prevent you from getting severely sick and could save your life.”

On Thursday, the CDC said hospitalizations are rising, especially among those over 65. The agency said that antivirals are not being utilized in those who test positive for the COVID-19 virus. 

“COVID-19 antivirals need to be prescribed more often to people who are at risk for severe illness to reduce hospitalizations and save lives,” the CDC said on Dec. 21. 

‘Variant of Interest’

Earlier this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified the new JN.1 variant of COVID-19 as a “variant of interest” that has been “rapidly” spreading across the world. 

The JN.1 variant has been found in 12 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, India, and China, The Epoch Times reported.

However, the organization said the variant was not a significant threat to public health. 

“Based on the available evidence, the additional global public health risk posed by JN.1 is currently evaluated as low,” the WHO said in a news release on Tuesday, Dec. 19.

WHO noted that “with the onset of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, JN.1 could increase the burden of respiratory infections in many countries.”

The CDC said JN.1 is a “closely related offshoot of BA.2.86” that the agency has been tracking since August.

“Its continued growth suggests that it is either more transmissible or better at evading our immune systems,” the agency said in an update on Dec. 8. “At this time, there is no evidence that JN.1 presents an increased risk to public health relative to other currently circulation variants.”

However, there are some concerns regarding the JN.1 variant.

In mainland China, the surge of illness has caused high rates of hospitalizations among children, and hospitals are reporting cases of “white lung syndrome” or “white lung pneumonia.” There has also been an increase in deaths since November.

Symptoms of white lung syndrome include high fever and silent hypoxia, similar to COVID-19-associated pneumonia.

Reported cases of “white lung syndrome” or “white lung pneumonia” have begun escalating in the United States and Europe, causing increased concern as cases of JN.1 rise.

The Warren County Health District in Ohio issued a public health alert following “an extremely high number of pediatric pneumonia cases this fall season.”

“Since August, there have been 142 cases of  pediatric pneumonia reported,” the health alert stated, adding that the number of cases fits the definition of an “outbreak.”

It also stated that it did not believe this was a “novel” or “new” respiratory disease but “rather an uptick in the number of pneumonia cases normally seen at one time.”