As rains and temperatures drop, respiratory illnesses increase by about 35%, including pharyngitis, cough, common cold, nasopharyngitis, viral infections and, in more serious cases, bronchitis, but Covid19 cases are not excluded, mainly in children and the elderly Among people.
With that in mind, health officials say it’s important to seek medical attention at the first sign of symptoms because respiratory illnesses, if left untreated, can cause permanent damage to the vocal cords, temporary loss of voice, or severe respiratory problems, to name a few.
Among the recommendations are dressing appropriately in cold temperatures, wearing a mask and not self-medicating as this may be counterproductive to taking advantage of booster vaccination days for coronavirus and influenza.
There has been no indication yet of a COVID-19 vaccine, but the flu vaccine is tentatively scheduled to begin next week.