CU Anschutz In The News

Any holiday can be hard for people with post-traumatic stress disorder, because they may feel unable to connect with others after the traumatic event changed the way they see themselves and the world, said Dr. Abby Norouzinia, who practices at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. But Valentine’s Day presents its own challenges for people who survived sexual assault, domestic violence or other trauma related to dating and romantic relationships, she said.

It’s possible last week’s number was blip, or that it was a real, but muted result of the XBB.1.5 variant gaining ground in the state, said Beth Carlton, an associate professor of environmental and occupational health at the Colorado School of Public Health.

The numbers can fluctuate, so one week’s data may not represent a trend. Still, the fact that three of the four major indicators are trending up suggests Colorado may be seeing the effects of the XBB.1.5 variant taking over, said Beth Carlton, an associate professor of environmental and occupational health at the Colorado School of Public Health.

That’s where Colorado AHEC comes in. The program is operating in its latest grant cycle, which runs from 2022 to 2027. It’s associated with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, and students are placed in clinical rotations to get comfortable serving rural areas.

The picture is clearest for respiratory syncytial virus, which is unlikely to cause another significant wave of illnesses this winter, said Beth Carlton, an associate professor of environmental and occupational health at the Colorado School of Public Health. RSV typically causes colds, although it can be severe in infants, toddlers and older people.

“To my eyes, it looks like it’s going down … but it’s not plunging,” said Beth Carlton, an associate professor of environmental and occupational health at the Colorado School of Public Health. “There’s still very high flu activity.”

While it’s a good sign that hospitalization rates haven’t continued to climb, it’s too early to say the worst is over, said Talia Quandelacy, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health. Typically, flu cases and hospitalizations rise following the holidays, but this has been an unusual season, with flu cases taking off significantly earlier than they have over the last decade, she said.

“We’re continuing to see far more people hospitalized with flu than at this time in a typical year,” said Beth Carlton, an associate professor of environmental and occupational health at the Colorado School of Public Health. “I think that’s the big concern for the weeks ahead.”