Health care workers and elected officials are urging parents to prepare for winter illnesses, as some are appearing earlier than usual.  

The big three that Gov. Kathy Hochul and doctors are raising the alarm for are the flu, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus, known as RSV. 

The governor assured New Yorkers on Wednesday that the state Department of Health is monitoring these trends. She and Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett are asking parents to make sure their kids are up to date on their COVID-19 and flu shots. 

However, RSV has no vaccine, and doctors say this virus can impact young children and infants. 

Dr. Edith Brancho-Sanchez from NewYork-Presbyterian says that the city is noticing unusual levels of RSV cases because symptoms don’t typically rise until late fall and through the winter. 

“Always be on the lookout for difficulty breathing, a fever that lasts longer than three days or a fever in a kid that's younger than 2 months, and then a child who's getting dehydrated or anything that doesn't feel right as a parent,” said Brancho-Sanchez. 

She says that even though RSV doesn’t have a cure, personal hygiene measures such as washing your hands and wiping down infected surfaces are critical to reducing the spread.