LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The inside of a waiting room is a familiar sight for many this winter, as many Kentuckians have encountered a member of the three-headed monster known as the ‘tripledemic.’
According to Dr. Steve Davis, medical director of Jessamine County Health Department, the majority of patients have come down with some form of COVID, RSV, or the flu. While COVID and RSV cases diminish, the flu makes a resurgence in a second wave.
“We're starting to see here in Jessamine County, and actually nationwide,” Dr. Davis said, “we're starting to see an uptick again in that second wave of flu season, so the flu season is not over.”
Just down the street, the Kid’s Connection Learning Center in Nicholasville has plenty of experience dealing with sickness and trying its best to prevent it.
“With the season changing right now, there's been some sickness,” said Madison Early, a teacher at Kid’s Connection. “Luckily, we're able to prevent it, usually just trying to keep everything clean and stuff. And when our students do get sick, we're disinfecting.”
Disinfecting surfaces achieves the goal of killing germs. The first and best step for personal health is even more simple and sometimes forgotten.
“First and foremost is solid hand washing,” Dr. Davis said. “Keep your hands washed, wash them several times a day.”
At childcare, Early tries to teach hand-washing basics to her kids.
“Especially with our littles right now, we're trying to teach them to wash our hands and keep everything clean and disinfected so we all stay healthy and can keep coming [to daycare] every day.”
In addition to washing hands, other measures can help prevent the spreading of disease. Staying home when feeling sick protects others while also allowing the sick to rest.
Doctors also encourage people to stay updated on their vaccines, such as their flu shots.
“It's been a tough season,” Dr. Davis said of the winter sicknesses, “but we'll get through it.”
