GLAD YOU'RE STREAMING WITH US TODAY. WELL, HOSPITAL ADMISSION NUMBERS ARE RISING AMID THIS ALARMING SURGE OF VIRUSES NATIONWIDE. AND NOW SOME SCHOOLS ARE OPTING TO CLOSE IN ORDER TO TRY AND STOP THE SPREAD OF THE FLU. FOR MORE ON THIS TRIPLE DEMNIG SPREADING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, ABC NEWS MEDICAL CONTRIBUTOR AND PHYSICIAN AT STANFORD CHILDREN'S HEALTH, DR PATEL JOINING US NOW. ALL RIGHT. HOSPITALS ARE INUNDATED. >> YOU'VE GOT THE FLU, RSV, EVEN COVID, NEARLY 80%. EXACTLY. ONE , TWO, THREE . RIGHT. 80% OF INPATIENT BEDS. MORE THAN 77% OF ICU BEDS FILLED. TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE SEEING AT YOUR HOSPITAL AND WITH YOUR OWN PATIENTS. I MEAN, EVEN TODAY, LITERALLY, WHILE ON THE AIR, I GOT A CALL FROM MY MY KID'S NURSE SAYING SOMETHING'S GOING ON . SHE FEELS NAUSEOUS, NOT FEELING WELL. >> AND ALL THESE KIDS ARE CALLING OUT YOUR WHAT YOUR YOUR SON'S SCHOOL NURSE IS SAYING. ACTUALLY , IS A VERY COMMON SENTIMENT WE'RE HEARING ACROSS THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW. NOW, I PERSONALLY, THE HOSPITALS I WORK AT ARE STILL SEEING OVERCROWDED EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS COMPLETELY FULL HOSPITALS. WE ARE POTENTIALLY SEEING A PEAK OF RSV IN SOME PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE OVER HERE WITH INFLUENZA TICKING UP RIGHT NOW, I AM SEEING PARENTS WAITING IN THE E.R. FOR HOURS. AND SOME PARENTS WHO NEED TO ACTUALLY HAVE THEIR CHILDREN ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL CAN WAIT EVEN LONGER THAN THAT, LONGER THAN A DAY. AND THIS COULD POTENTIALLY GET WORSE OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. YOU LOOK AT THAT MAP YOU'RE SHOWING UP RIGHT NOW. THAT'S A LOT OF RED AND PURPLE THERE. IS A LOT OF SICKNESS OUT THERE. >> DO WE KNOW WHY? I MEAN, WE GOT THE FLU SHOT AND IT DIDN'T MATTER. WE ALL GOT THE FLU AND NOW IT LOOKS LIKE MY DAUGHTER'S GOT SOMETHING ELSE GOING ON . AND CLEARLY, I'M TRYING TO PERSONALIZE IT HERE. BUT WE'RE HEARING THIS FROM SO MANY OF OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILIES HERE. >> PERSONALIZATION MAKES FOR GREAT TELEVISION, SO I'M OKAY WITH IT NOW. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT, YES, IF YOU GET THE FLU VACCINE, IT'S STILL ENTIRELY POSSIBLE THAT YOU MIGHT GO AND TEST POSITIVE FOR INFLUENZA, BUT YOU'RE MUCH LESS LIKELY TO GET SEVERELY WOUND UP IN THE HOSPITAL. THERE'S STILL UNKNOWNS ABOUT WHY THE RSV SURGE IS SO BAD RIGHT NOW. BUT WHAT DOES MATTER FOR PARENTS OUT THERE IS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF IT AROUND TO UNDERSTAND THE SICKNESS SYMPTOMS WHEN IT'S SEVERE AND YOU GO TO THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AND THIS HOLIDAY SEASON TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO ANY SYMPTOMS YOU MAY HAVE THAT MIGHT REQUIRE YOU TO STAY HOME . AND YOU'RE ASKING THE SAME WITH ALL YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY AND GUESTS. WE DO NOT WANT TO SPREAD MORE COLD AND FLU THAT'S ALREADY OUT THERE. >> THAT'S RIGHT. AND THE MASKS AREN'T FOR COVID. IT'S FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW. IT'S OKAY.