arizona news
Has been updated: December 9, 2022 at 1:31 PM
On December 6, 2022, cold and flu medicine shelves at a CVS pharmacy in Burbank, CA are empty. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona’s most populous county warns of a significant increase in cases of flu, COVID-19, and other respiratory illnesses.
Maricopa County Public Health Department raised the alarm Cases of these viruses, including respiratory syncytial virus, known as respiratory syncytial virus, are higher than usual for this time of year, it announced Friday. Influenza is now classified as “widespread” within the county. The infection of COVID-19 also belongs to the high category.
Officials are pushing for more crowds, especially during the holiday season, to ensure that anyone over the age of 6 months is vaccinated against flu and COVID-19.
They also encourage indoor mask wearing in public places.
Medical epidemiologist Dr. Nick Stave says he’s concerned about how many cases there will be before people start traveling on Christmas. He says the medical system is strained.
Symptoms of the three viruses include fever, cough, sore throat, and runny or stuffy nose.
