TULSA, Okla — Emergency rooms and doctor's office waiting rooms are filling up across Green Country as a surge of respiratory and gastrointestinal illness like norovirus, flu and RSV surge.
"They're all ramping up," said EMSA's Jacob Harrington on Dec 31. "The last couple of days we have seen a large increase."
Harrington adds that even more cases are anticipated before things get better.
"We're projecting an increase over the next two to three weeks with everybody returning to work, returning to school."
2 News checked with the Tulsa Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and both report an increase of norovirus. It spreads through direct contact with an infected person, contaminated food or drinks, and touching contaminated surfaces.
RSV poses the greatest risk for infants and the elderly. Its symptoms include:
- Coughing
- congestion
- difficulty breathing in children
The Tulsa Health Department, pharmacies and doctor's offices offer vaccinations to reduce the risk of catching the flu, Covid and RSV
There are simple steps you can take to reduce your chance of getting sick.
- Frequently wash your hands with warm, soapy water.
- Use disinfecting wipes or sprays according to label directions to kill viruses on hard surfaces
- wash sick people's bedding and clothes in hot water to kill viruses
If you do get sick:
- consider using video doctor visits or nurse call lines when symptoms are not severe to prevent over-crowding and long wait times at urgent care clinics and emergency rooms
- stay home and isolate from other family members to avoid spreading contagions
- know your children's school policy for when to return to class - most require students to be fever-free for 24 to 36 hours before heading back to class
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