Cold and flu season makes a comeback as masks come off

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – As masks come off, many people are catching things other than the coronavirus.

"The fact that we don't have very many people in the hospital, nobody on ventilators, nobody in the ICU, in our county, in the last several days tell us that this variety of the virus is much less likely to make you sick," Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinic CEO Dr. Charles Fenzi said.

He said COVID-19 cases are up locally, but hospitalizations are down.

In the meantime, people are getting other illnesses they have avoided the past couple of years.

"The thing that was very interesting is that during the whole pandemic we all wore masks, and we had virtually no flu last year, so it has been protective in that regard," Fenzi said.

"Now we have our masks off, and the flu is back, and rhinovirus, and all the other things that cause the common cold."

Rhinovirus, or cold symptoms, include runny nose, sore through, sneezing, and may include coughing, headaches, and muscle aches.

Flu symptoms include all of the above plus a fever or feeling chills.

Many urgent care centers have long waits due to people seeking cold and flu care. Popular drug stores appear to be stocking up on over-the-counter cold and flu medications.

Parents, including the father of a toddler, in Santa Barbara said his little girl brought the cold home from daycare.

Giavanna Acuna said two of her children have been sick with colds for the past week.

She bought them Mucinex. She said kids sometimes forget to sneeze into their sleeves.

Dr. Fenzi said it is a good time to remind people to wash their hands to prevent the spread of illnesses.

He also recommends wearing masks if patients are immunocompromised.