Many people spend the holidays with their loved ones, but with flu cases up 14% nationwide, how are people on the central coast staying healthy?
During cold and flu season, Carol and Bruce Peasley say they do their best to stay hydrated and dress for the weather to avoid catching a virus.
“Other than that, there's no avoiding it. You know, it's just, hopefully our immune systems are built up enough to, to ward most of it off," Bruce Peasley said.
Most recent data shows around 70 flu cases had been reported on the Central Coast as of Dec. 14, according to the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Agency.
Before leaving Austin, Texas for the holiday and flying to Avila Beach, Jordan Fox and his family were hit with a cold. He says they did what they could to get better in time for Christmas.
“My wife was a little ill, and then we also have a 6 and 2-year-old, so we just made sure to get a lot of rest, a lot of fluids and keep our hands washed,” Fox said.
While they were traveling, Fox says he and his family took extra precautions at the airport.
“We try to, because you're, you're around a lot of other people traveling... and especially with kids running around, a lot of germs flying everywhere, so, yeah, make sure to, yeah, stay clean. Keep a safe distance every now and then,” Fox said.
Slo County Public Health Epidemiologist Roxanne Archer says while much of California is seeing a spike in Flu and RSV cases, that’s not the case on the Central Coast.
“Currently, our respiratory disease accounts look like they're pretty low based on both our wastewater and test positivity data,” Archer said.
She says the numbers in California are still growing. According to the California Department of Public Health, between Dec. 6 and 13, the number of flu cases in California had doubled from 1,900 to 3,800 cases.
“The flu season starts in October and runs through April, I believe, and so we will often see increasing flu come December, January,” Archer added.
The California department of public health reminds everyone to wash your hands, covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze and stay home if you’re sick in an effort to slow the spread.
