NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Alex Jones, APRN with Hutchinson Primary Care Associates inside the Hutchinson Regional Medical Center has been seeing COVID-19, the flu and RSV this fall.
"All three of them have really amped up, especially after the holiday season," Jones said. "This past week, after everybody was hanging out for Thanksgiving, we've seen a great increase in the flu, COVID again and RSV in both kids and adults, which is a little less common."
Some of this is due to everything getting back to pre-2020 normal, as respiratory mitigation measures aren't being taken as much as they have the last two years.
"People were masking, they were taking different precautions, as far as being exposed to as many people as we previously were," Jones said. "People were more vaccinated and being a little more cautious. Now that some of those precautions have lifted a little bit, I think things are spreading a little more rampantly than they were."
If you have underlying conditions, it is still okay to take those additional precautions.
"Especially if you are immunocompromised, make sure you are washing your hands a lot," Jones said. "Make sure that you are wearing masks. Try to social distance when you can. If you're feeling unwell, try to social distance just to keep everybody else safe. Immunizations are always very, very important. There's a flu shot and a COVID shot. That can really help reduce your risk."
The Reno County Health Department has access to both COVID and flu vaccine, if you need it.
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