MIDLAND, Texas — It's that time of season that sees where noses begin to run, throats feel sore and everybody starts reaching for a tissue.
Flu season has been hitting the state of Texas hard this holiday season while RSV and COVID-19 remain a pain in the side of immune systems everywhere.
Flu cases, in particular, have been a problem across the state.
“Texas is rated as being very high as far as flu activity along with most of the gulf states," Midland Community Healthcare Services CEO Michael Austin, Ph.D, said. "We're seeing about twice as many flu cases this month, as we did the month before. The month before November, we saw about twice as many flu cases as we get the month before that."
These viruses have a lot of similarities, especially with how they infect people.
When the temperature begins to drop during the colder months of the year, viruses look for something warm to latch onto. With all of the holiday travel packing people into airplanes and family gatherings packing people into one house, it almost makes it too easy.
“It's getting so many people together in one place," Austin said. "Be it on a plane, be in a family get together, a church get together, there's social interactions happening, and of course, flu, RSV, COVID-19, all those are viruses and that's how they move around. in the air and mediate localized area.”
While flu numbers reign supreme, COVID-19 cases have been lagging behind the other two.
“Good news is, as far as COVID is concerned, COVID hospitalizations and related mortalities have gone down significantly from what they were saying this time last year," Austin said.
An increased amount of knowledge regarding the virus and vaccinations can be credited for the lower case numbers.
When it comes to keeping yourself healthy and not getting sick, the basic prevention methods still offer the best defense.
“Really the best thing people can do is 1) be mindful about your environment. You know if you're ever working next to a co-worker that is sick may maybe it's time for that individual to go home," Austin said. "Basic handwashing hygiene practices, you know all the stuff that we did during COVID, it's pretty effective as far as knocking back the flu."
Keeping up with your shots helps as well, especially if you live with someone who is more at-risk of catching a virus, like the elderly or a newborn child.