MICHIGAN, USA — Michigan's Chief Medical Executive Natasha Bagdasarian is reminding Michiganders to stay aware of their health and get vaccinated amid a surge of illness.
Bagdasarian says there are several viruses transmitting right now, which is typical in the winter as people gather indoors and celebrate holidays together.
While cases of RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) have started to fall, influenza cases are on the rise across the state.
The spread of illness has impacted schools in West Michigan. Students at the Carson City-Crystal Area School District headed back to the classroom Thursday after the district was closed the last two days for illness.
This comes after Mona Shores had to cancel classes one day last week due to a large number of teachers being out sick.
Doctors are asking parents to keep kids home as soon as they show symptoms.
"People are shedding the most amount of the virus early on in their illness," Bagdasarian said. "So when they are developing symptoms, when they're in that stage of really feeling rotten, and coughing, and sneezing, and maybe having a fever, but we have to remember that not all of these viruses manifest with a fever. And so you can still be shedding virus into your environment, even if you don't have a fever."
Bagdasarian says there are illnesses other than COVID, the flu and RSV spreading in West Michigan.
"We can't forget that there are a lot of viruses that transmit right now that we don't normally test for," she said. "So things like parainfluenza, other coronaviruses. So lots and lots of viruses going around right now that we sometimes don't even test for."
Bagdasarian says she expects Michigan to start seeing an uptick in flu and COVID cases soon. She is reminding Michiganders to get vaccinated for the flu and COVID, or get your COVID booster, ahead of holiday gatherings.
"These are also the two viruses that tend to make people the most ill and so getting vaccinated is a huge part of your strategy for keeping safe and healthy this holiday season. It's definitely not too late."
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