10TV: What's going around?

It seems like it’s been impossible to avoid sickness these last couple of weeks, whether you’ve been coughing or maybe your co-worker at the next desk is going through endless boxes of tissues. But what exactly is going around in central Ohio right now? And what can you do to prevent getting it? 10TV reporter Tracy Townsend recently visited with Trevor Shull, MD, a physician with OhioHealth Urgent Care to find out.

Tracy found out that in addition to the flu, respiratory issues like bronchitis, colds and sinus infections are keeping doctors busy. A lot of these are leading to people dealing with nasal congestion, sore throats and different levels of coughs. Dr. Shull told Tracy he’s been seeing a lot of these cases lately and expects the trend to continue.

“This time of the year, especially when the weather is a little colder, people are inside more and are picking up things from family members and coworkers,” he said. “There’s a lot going around in offices and homes and we are seeing a lot of that this time of the year.”

Fortunately, many of these illness can be treated with over the counter medications like ibuprofen and acetaminophen. However, if patients have something more serious like pneumonia or sinus infections, doctors may prescribe antibiotics. Dr. Shull also recommends that those who are sick drink plenty of fluids and take time to rest so your body has a chance to fight off the illness and recover. To see the two 10TV stories, click on the video players above.