SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Local doctors are warning people that respiratory infections will be on the rise following the holidays.
“Every year it’s this way, probably because it’s cold outside and people are inside more and close proximity to each other and certainly with the holidays and family gathering, people coming from different areas,“ said Mike Sewell, Chief of Hospital Medicine at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport.
This year, the rapid spread nationwide of what health officials have deemed a ‘tripledemic’ of the flu, RSV and COVID-19 was worrisome enough to prompt the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to urge the public once again to wear face masks indoors.
“Always during this time of year, cold viruses, simple common colds, coronavirus,” Sewell said. “But also the flu, RSV have also fallen off. We have hit a peak at RSV, and we’re not seeing quite as much as that now.”
Still, healthcare workers are seeing more and more patients coming in with coughs, runny noses, and sore throats after attending gatherings with friends and family and Bossier City family physician Dr. Adrian Pavlick says now is not the time to be lax about keeping personal space and good hygiene.
“If it’s a good party, there’s going to be a lot of people packed into a room sharing hugs, shaking hands, eating food together. A lot of these viruses are transmitted through airborne particles. So even though we’re not wearing masks all the time, giving six-foot bubbles around each other, you know, a couple of feet of personal space can really go a long way to protect other people around you.“
Doctors recommend getting fully vaccinated to protect yourself and others.
“Certainly, we recommend getting a flu shot for everyone over six months old and COVID vaccinations if you haven’t had it,” Sewell said. “The newer vaccines are covering more of the strains and likelihood of hospitalizations.”
And finally, if you find yourself not feeling well or suspect you might be coming down with something, it’s best to be honest with those around you so that they can take precautions to protect themselves and others from the further spread of any viral illnesses.
