The holidays are approaching, gatherings and social events are more frequent, and unfortunately, some illnesses are on the rise.
Sue Hoover, a nurse practitioner at Health Express urgent care in Kingston , said they’re seeing a “hodgepodge” of viral illnesses. Hoover said these can be challenging, since patients typically just need to ride them out.
“After Thanksgiving, when people travel and are together in larger groups, we expect to see an increase in things like COVID or the flu,” she said.
Medical experts are stressing that members of the public should be up to date on their vaccines as Massachusetts sees a significant spike in two respiratory illnesses in particular.
Is whooping cough on the rise?
One is whooping cough, or pertussis, which is a highly infectious respiratory illness that can be very dangerous for unvaccinated, infant or elderly patients. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reports a fivefold increase statewide in the number of confirmed cases, with 754 so far this year, compared to 115 in the same period last year.