TAMPA, Fla. — As we wave goodbye to summer, people are also saying good riddance to the coughs, colds, and other illnesses that plagued this season. Yet doctors want people to keep their health a top priority ahead of flu season.
Megan McCarthy noticed people around her getting sick this summer.
“After I, quite frankly, back in January of ‘24, beginning of the year, got RSV, so I was really concentrating on myself not getting sick again,” McCarthy said.
Heading into the fall, she’s been taking measures to help stay healthy.
“I have been washing my hands extra, hand sanitizer. I have been taking lots of Vitamin C. I have learned all about probiotics, and I’ve been exercising,” she said.
Health experts hope people keep taking precautions, especially with flu season right around the corner.
Dr. Timothy Hendrix, the Medical Director of AdventHealth Centra Care, said that during the summer, they saw an increase in COVID cases beginning after Memorial Day and lasting through Labor Day, which is finally starting to taper off now.
“It’s not unusual to see people spread COVID during travel and holiday times because we’ve seen increases in the number of COVID cases coming in after Labor Day weekend. Now kids are back in school, so we are definitely seeing a lot of COVID cases over our baseline,” said Dr. Hendrix.
Hendrix said they anticipate an increase in flu cases as we get into the fall. If you’re thinking about when to get a flu shot, Dr. Hendrix said go ahead and get it now, don’t worry about timing.
“Try to get it done before Halloween, before the end of October because that’s when we start to see the real onset of flu cases,” said Hendrix. “If you’re at it, go ahead and get your COVID shot too.”
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