There's a risk of getting seriously sick this holiday season, according to Dr. Jyotu Sandhu, a primary care physician with Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Centers.
There is a difference this holiday season compared with the past few years, Sandhu told NBC 7 on Thursday.
“Most people are not masking up, and most people, rightfully so, want to get back to normal life, so that’s predisposing people to infection,” Sandhu said.
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Infections also include the flu this season. Even though the county data released Thursday shows a 21% decrease in reported flu cases, Sandhu said, that doesn’t mean we are past the peak.
“I can tell you right now, just from my practice, I’ve had five patients come in who said their flu experience was far worse than their COVID experience, and that says a lot,” Sandhu said.
Sandhu is advising his patients to be up to date on both COVID-19 and flu vaccines. The timing of those shots is important, too.
In California and, I think, in most other places, the worst of flu is January and February,” Sandhu said.
James Utley works security at a hospital, so he still masks. He told NBC 7 that has all of his shots. So far, so good.
“Never had the flu, never had COVID," Utley said. 'Praying that I don’t get it. So, pretty fortunate."
Elissa Claar also avoided COVID-19 — until last week.
“Pretty easy but still have a lingering cough,” Claar said.
The worry factor is still there. While vaccinated, Claar said she has continued to be mindful of her elderly and high-risk parents since the beginning of the pandemic.
“We were definitely a little more relaxed than we have been in the past because most of us have had it once now," Claar said, "but my parents joined us, so we did some masking indoors with my parents."
Eleven-year-old Brielle Claar did the same.
“It wasn’t always easiest, wearing masks around my family," Brielle said. "It was sometimes hard to breathe in, but I wanted to make sure that everyone was safe."
The county data also showed COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased since Dec.1; 64% of those hospitalized have been 65 and older. Sandhu said that not enough people have gotten their COVID-19 booster shots, and that could make all the difference.
“[There is an opportunity] to help fight and mitigate this ongoing problem we have and continue to contribute to a resolution,” Sandhu said.