Hit hard by fever, coughing and a sore throat? You are not alone! Cases of contagious, respiratory illness are widespread with winter in Tarrant County.
Overall, respiratory illnesses are behind about 25% of emergency department visits towards the end of January, with nearly 65% of those patients being between the ages of 0 and 17. Seasonal flu has been responsible for the majority of those weekly emergency department visits in January, according to Tarrant County Public Health’s Respiratory Illness Dashboard.
Tarrant County data indicates that school absences and weekly visits to the school nurse for flu-like illnesses increased between Oct.5, 2024, and Jan. 25, 2025, according to Tarrant County Public Health’s Respiratory Illness Dashboard. This indicates that in the last four months, from Oct. 5, 2024, to Jan. 25, 2025, the county has seen an increase of 168.9% in school absences and 93.72% in weekly visits to the school nurse for flu-like illnesses.
In addition to flu, other respiratory illnesses circulating in our county include COVID-19 and Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV.
Seasonal flu occurs annually, typically between October to March. While it’s possible to still get sick with the flu after vaccination, the severity of the flu is significantly reduced and there are fewer complications than those who are unvaccinated.
So how can you stay healthy? Here are some recommended tips to protect yourself and others from the flu and other respiratory illnesses:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home from work, school and errands when you are sick.
- Cover your mouth with a tissue to contain coughing and sneezing and use a mask if you're out and about for your own protection.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
- Clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces, especially when someone is ill.
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