Now that kids are back in school, illnesses are spiking
It happens every year. As soon as school is back in session and students are mingling, there’s always a spike in people getting sick.
MedCenter’s North River location is one of many urgent care centers around Tuscaloosa County seeing more sick patients.
MedCenter Urgent Care Medical Director Chris McGee said it’s common.
“We see about a 25% patient increase at some clinics, as much as a 50% increase at others,” McGee said. “It depends on how close the clinic is to the school. We have three clinics in town and demographics play a role in that, but it can be quite a large number.”
Parents with several children are advised to keep sick children away from the rest of their siblings if possible.
Here are a few precautions families can take in the hopes of avoiding a trip to the doctor:
- Practice proper handwashing techniques
- Take a daily multivitamin
- Exercise regularly
- Drink more water/stay hydrated
- Maintain a proper, nutrition-rich diet
And as cold and flu season creeps back up on us, now’s the time to teach children to sneeze and cough into their elbows instead of their hands.
It is also important to become familiar with your child’s school’s policy surrounding student illness.
