The holiday season that began with Thanksgiving also means we are now well into the flu, cold, COVID and RSV seasons.
According to a report in the San Diego Union, these seasons so far are all looking to be not as serious as they have been during the depths of the pandemic and also better than they were a year ago.
The report says that among people in San Diego County with flu-and-cold like symptoms who went to urgent care and emergency centers last week, four percent had fevers, coughs or sore throats compared to 10 percent who did so at this time last year.
While it’s still early in the cold and related viruses season, medical experts say they are optimistic.
With a majority of people already having had COVID at least once, and with all the people who have been vaccinated, immunity from serious infections is now way better than it was.
As a U-C San Diego infectious disease expert puts it, “With a more normal percent of the population getting infected, I think we’re moving back toward a more-traditional pattern.”
While health officials still recommend that people, especially older adults, get the newest COVID vaccine, the flu shot and a vaccination for RSV, it is a good feeling to know that this winter should be a much better one for everyone when it comes to the coughing, sneezing, dripping, throat aching, body aching season we all want to avoid.
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