MID-HUDSON – Respiratory diseases including COVID, RSV, flu and the common cold are up so far this winter and there are certain precautions one can take to minimize the risk of catching any or all of them, Orange County Health Commissioner Dr. Alicia Pointer says.
People should get vaccinated and weigh the personal option of wearing a mask.
“We are seeing rates of everything going up. We are seeing COVID rates increasing, some hospitalizations, and what we are seeing in our wastewater data – what we are seeing flu rates continuing to increase and RSV-2 continues to go up as it continues to do this time of year,” she said.
Dr. Pointer said a mask would not only protect the wearer from catching a virus but could also minimize the risk of others catching it.
