Testing is up to "rule out" flu, COVID symptoms ahead of Thanksgiving gatherings
SACRAMENTO -- A recent surge in flu and RSV cases, combined with COVID infections, could be a major recipe for concern this holiday season. Doctors warn that Thanksgiving gatherings may drive a spike in more illnesses if preventative measures aren't taken.
Ten Acres Pharmacy in Sacramento has had people coming all day every day for flu shots, COVID boosters, and tests to ensure they don't take anything with them to their Thanksgiving destination.
The symptoms of these respiratory illnesses may feel similar at first, and testing has spiked as people try to rule out what they are not experiencing ahead of the holiday. According to a Sacramento pharmacist, each of these illnesses can cause shortness of breath, a sore throat, chest tightness, a fever and body aches.
"What do I have? Do I have COVID? Can I see friends and family? Should I get vaccinated? What cough and cold medicine? So yeah, lots of questions." said Sonya Frausto, the owner and pharmacist at Ten Acres Pharmacy in Sacramento.
Frausto said, anecdotally, the majority of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last few days have all traveled recently.
"We're seeing a lot more COVID testing, flu tests, and strep tests are also really popular. Everybody is trying to rule out things," said Frausto.
One Sacramento father, Brad Satterwhite, said he wanted to get his COVID-19 booster and flu shot on the same day, a week before Thanksgiving, to ensure it had time to build immunity which takes 7-10 days. His five-year-old son, he said, just started kindergarten and has already had to miss school due to illness. He's trying to prevent more of that.
"We do have senior parents. We all try to communicate, be protected, get our shots before these group family things," said Satterwhite.
Over at UC Davis Health, Dr. Dean Blumberg, the chief of the university's pediatric infectious diseases division, said there is always a risk when people are together, unmasked and in close proximity. He expects there will be a spike in flu or COVID-19 cases after the holiday.
"Ensuring the people you're with are generally healthy is always a good idea. The more people who are vaccinated and updated with boosters, that'll decrease risk of infection also," said Blumberg.
Blumberg noted that travel increases the risk of getting sick and recommends, although it is not mandatory anymore, wearing a mask if traveling for Thanksgiving by plane.