Heading into the holidays, surging cases of Covid-19, the flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) pose a unique threat, which many are calling a "tripledemic" or "tridemic." While RSV cases have plateaued, Covid-19 and the flu are on the rise. Hospitalizations for the flu are the highest seen at this time of year in a decade. While unprecedented, experts in infectious disease and emergency medicine say the convergence of these illnesses is not a reason to live in fear. On this episode of the 20-Minute Health Talk podcast, Bruce Farber, MD, and Eric Cruzen, MD, discuss masking recommendations; overlapping symptoms between Covid-19, flu and RSV; how hospitals handle surges; and the importance of getting vaccinated against Covid-19 and the flu. Featured experts Bruce Farber, MD, chief of Public Health and Epidemiology at Northwell Health Eric Cruzen, MD, senior vice president and executive director of the Emergency Medicine service line, Northwell Health Listen to more episodes of the 20-Minute Health Talk podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/20-minute-health-talk/id1528414053 Podcast transcript: https://www.northwell.edu/news/insights/tripledemic-should-you-be-concerned-podcast 0:00 Opening 0:05 Intro 3:10 Was the tripledemic a surprise? 4:42 Overlapping symptoms 6:09 What about contact tracing? 8:44 How to stay safe this winter 10:01 How hospitals get ahead of the surge 14:33 A reason for hope, not panic 17:47 Masking recommendations 21:44 Rapid fire questions 23:25 Outro Northwell Health is New York State’s largest health care provider and private employer, with 21 hospitals, 850+ ambulatory facilities, and more than 18,500 affiliated physicians. We care for over two million people annually in the New York metro area and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Our 79,000 employees – 18,900-plus nurses and 4,900 employed doctors, including nearly 4,200 members of Northwell Health Physician Partners – are working to change health care for the better. We’re making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. We're training the next generation of medical professionals at the visionary Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and the Hofstra Northwell School of Graduate Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visit Northwell.edu. Interested in a career at Northwell Health? Visit http://bit.ly/2Z7iHFL and explore our many opportunities. The Well - https://thewell.northwell.edu/ Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/northwellhealth Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/northwellhealth Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/northwellhealth LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin/northwellhealth