Sheldon, Iowa — Cases of the flu are up in northwest Iowa.
We talked to Sanford Sheldon physician, Dr. Ryan Becker, and he tells us they have started seeing more patients with upper respiratory complaints, and many of them have been infected with one of the viruses.
He tells us why there are more cold and flu cases this time of year.
Dr. Becker tells us how you can reduce your risk of coming down with a virus like a cold, influenza, or even COVID.
We asked Dr. Becker if it’s ever too late to get a flu shot.
The threat for colds and flu is seasonal, for the most part. We asked Becker if COVID is becoming more of a seasonal threat as well.
Becker says they do sometimes do a quad scan to see if a patient has influenza A, influenza B, COVID, or RSV. But, he says, for the most part, if it’s a virus, treatment and prevention is going to be very similar.
He tells us when you might think about making an appointment.
Becker says if you have any other health conditions, there could be reasons to make an appointment sooner. For more information, check with your medical provider.
KIWA Staff Photo
