Health officials caution public to be prepared for illnesses with seasonal increases

Andrew Noymer, an epidemiologist and associate professor of population health and disease prevention at the University of California, Irvine, was skeptical about a “tripledemic” overwhelming hospitals. He cited previous warnings of a “twindemic” — the combination of a serious flu season and soaring COVID-19 infections pushing hospital capacity to the brink — that didn’t play out. He urged residents to heed precautions such as getting vaccinated and donning a mask in indoor settings, but warnings of a “tripledemic” may be premature.