GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — If you're feeling under the weather, the last thing you should be feeling is alone.
“This is that beautiful time of year, when it starts getting cold. We have a couple holidays, family gets together, and there’s lots of opportunities for things to spread,” Infectious Disease Doctor for Trinity Health Andrew Jameson said.
Pediatrics are seeing a specific type of case more frequently, according to Jameson.
“There’s something that’s called mycoplasma pneumoniae. It’s a classic bacteria that causes walking pneumonia. For some reason it’s really hitting kids and spilling over to their family members and other adults,” Jameson said.
Grown-ups are mostly sick with viruses such as the common cold, like rhinovirus, which causes a runny nose. Doctors are only able to know this because of specific testing that expanded because of COVID-19.
“Before, you’d come to the hospital, or you’d come to the ER, and we’d look at you and we’d be like, 'We don’t think it’s a bacterial infection; we think it’s a virus. Good luck!' Now we can actually put a name and a finger on that virus, and be more specific on how to treat it and help people,” Jameson said.
At-home treatments are things like supportive care, including drinking lots of water, something to break a fever if you have one. Things to boost your immune system, like zinc, can also help.
“In my house, my daughter, who’s 13, and she’s says—when someone has something: 'I hate it — but give me the Airborne. I’m going to start taking that to prevent getting one of their colds.' And it does have really good data behind it,” Jameson said.
If you're sick for a prolonged period of time, it's always a good idea to see your doctor. Washing your hands can help prevent the spread of illnesses.
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