Tulsa Health Department Seeing Steady Increase Of Respiratory Illnesses

The Tulsa Health Department says we're seeing a steady increase in respiratory illnesses as we head into the new year. 

The Tulsa Health Department reported the first flu death this season last week. 

Doctors say confirmed cases of respiratory illnesses are at a slower pace this year than last. 

"Compared to last year, I believe early in the season we had a very big peak, but at this moment, we have just a gradual increase at the moment," said Dr. Abhishek Shakya, an epidemiologist with the Tulsa Health Department.

Shakya says the main illnesses going around are the flu, COVID and RSV, which they mainly see in kids. 

"If you're just kind of coughing or having a little fever, that could be a minor illness, but once you start to have that sore throat, fatigue, high temperatures where it doesn't go down at all for your fevers, and you start to have a runny nose or a stuffy nose, I think that's the point where you want to talk to your provider, get tested and see," he said.

He says it's best to take all the precautions to avoid getting sick, like being up to date on your vaccinations and covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing. 

"Just making sure that you are washing your hands because since it's respiratory season you are not only thinking about COVID, RSV, so just making sure your hands are clean, also using an alcohol-based sanitizer," he said.

He expects the numbers to steadily increase as we head into the year, but as illnesses like the flu can be unpredictable, cases could peak. 

"At the end, we want to make sure we are not developing any sort of severe illness, which would lead to hospitalization or, unfortunately, even death," he said.