Runny noses and congestion are a fixture of the winter months — but a respiratory infection in August when you’re counting on soaking up rays by Barton Springs? That just feels wrong.
Yet it’s not uncommon for patients to come in asking about a “summer cold” going around Austin, said Dr. Michael Stefanowicz, associate chief medical officer at CommUnityCare Health Centers. It’s even been a recent topic of intrigue on the Austin subreddit.
“What this is, in fact, is likely a confluence of different kinds of infections that may have a seasonal pattern at times — yes, COVID being one of them,” Stefanowicz said…