Montana Health Department: Respiratory Diseases on the Rise

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - How’s your family feeling these days?

The weeks following Thanksgiving have been rough for us, with colds and other respiratory conditions threatening to ruin our holiday season.

With that in mind, I called Missoula Public Health and spoke to Bradley Applegate, (who prefers to be called B-Rad) a Registered Nurse and Disease Intervention Specialist and asked if there are any reports of flu or other respiratory conditions breaking out in Missoula at this time.

Fewer COVID Cases But More Colds and Flu Being Reported

B-rad told me that COVID has been on the decline this fall and early winter.

“I'm looking at a graph right now of reported COVID cases, and over the past few weeks, we've seen a steady decrease in COVID activity,” began Applegate. “Now this data only comes from what's being reported, so it's possible that this data doesn't accurately represent what's in the community, but in general, it is usually fairly consistent, so the trend of COVID has been going down.”

However, B-rad said there are plenty of other nasty little viruses currently getting people sick in Missoula as we speak.

Respiratory Viruses Like RSV Can Be Serious So Contact Your Doctor

“There are other respiratory viruses, such as influenza, para-influenza, rhinoviruses and RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus), and a lot of these are transmitted the same way, from respiratory droplets being close to people and talking and having a little spit come out of your mouth when you talk to someone, and those are all possibly circulating in town," he said.

There are a variety of reactions to these viruses, depending upon the patient.

“There is a spectrum,” he said. “Some people get mildly sick and they're uncomfortable, and that's unfortunate. Some people get severely sick and end up hospitalized. That's much more unfortunate. However, when people get the vaccine, even if they get sick, they tend to have a lower amount of the virus in their system because the vaccine has given them some immunity. That means two things. Number one, they are not as sick. And number two, they do not have as much of that virus to spit out onto other people and get other people sick.”

It's a Hard Decision, But if You Don't Feel Well, Stay Home and Protect Others

Of course, with Christmas and New Year’s parties galore throughout western Montana, there will be many opportunities to encounter colds and flu, and to be watchful for any symptoms before you go.

“I think that the most important thing to do is just make sure before you go out and engage with other people, to pause, check in with yourself, see how you're feeling, and if you're feeling good, then go have a good time,” he said. “However, if you’re feeling like maybe you're not 100 percent, then I would seriously consider excluding yourself from the one event so that you don't spread these infections. Again, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of getting those vaccines.”

So, it’s the same old song; for that holiday party… if you’re not feeling well, STAY HOME.