Flu: What’s Going Around for the Week of Jan. 9

We’re in the thick of cold and flu season. That’s just one thing local doctors are talking about when looking at “What’s Going Around” the area where you live.

Dr. Michael Jardula reports the casualties of cold and flu season are heavy in Palm Springs. The chill in the air, along with holiday travel and holiday guests, have come together as the “perfect storm” for flu. If symptoms don’t subside in 48 hours call your doctor.

Also in Palm Springs this week Dr. Frank Arian saw an absolute explosion of viral illness– cases up tenfold over previous weeks. During the early phase of illness, patients are most contagious, so he advises staying home and saving your co-workers some stress and sickness. “I would treat anyone who has the sniffles of frequent throat clearing at this point, as if they have a virus,” explains Arian. Watch and wait is the best strategy for dealing with diarrhea. Many patients are coming in for treatment, but Arian says most cases get better on their own in about 72 hours.

And finally, at the Mecca Clinic Dr. Randolph Gibbs is seeing a lot of viral bronchitis in adults. All these upper respiratory infections are transmitted by sneezing, coughing and close contact. He says treatment boils down to three things: hydration, isolation and observation. The antibiotic resistant Shigella bacterial is also surfacing in counties bordering Mexico. Gibbs is still seeing these cases and say most are acquired while traveling abroad and from eating raw fruit. This is reportable to the county health department.

Watch “What’s Going Around” Tuesday evenings at 5:30 and Wednesday mornings on CBS Local 2 News.