The risk of respiratory illness is high right now in central New York, and doctors are encouraging people in the community to take precautions.
Jana Shaw, MD, from Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital, said she’s seeing the flu, RSV, and human metapneumovirus right now, and COVID-19 is also still circulating.
"It does put strain on the hospital because as you can imagine, we are full,” she said. “Moving beds and moving patients can be challenging because we want to make sure that everybody is taken care of and everybody is safe."
Shaw said many people can recover from viruses at home, but reach out to your doctor if you’re not starting to feel better in 3-5 days or if you develop new symptoms.
"You're coughing more. Your fever is higher. Your chest hurts more. You're unable to drink or eat. Those would be signs of your maybe having a complication of a viral infection, maybe a bacterial infection," Shaw said.
Shaw said to increase your chances of staying healthy, make sure you’re using good hygiene, and it’s not too late in the season to get vaccinated against the flu and COVID-19.
“Vaccines work very well,” she said. “They are very safe. They protect people from severe disease. They will protect people, children and adults, from ending up in the hospital, ending up in the ICU unit."
And Shaw said keep in mind, even if you are healthy and bounce back quickly from these viruses, children and people who are immunocompromised may not, so if you’re feeling sick, stay home or take other precautions to prevent spreading the illness.
