It is the time of year again where it seems many Arizonans are getting sick.
State data show flu and RSV cases are on the rise in the Grand Canyon State, along with other respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19.
Danielle Sebbens, associate director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Arizona State University, said medical professionals have started to use the term "tripledemic" to describe the severity of this year's flu season, with all three viruses hitting Arizona simultaneously.
"Part of it is that we are still seeing the evolution of what the pandemic did to everybody's immunity across the board," Sebbens explained. "When we were all 'stay home and stay safe,' and masking and really having social distancing, we didn't have these same exposures to viruses that we're seeing when everybody is now back together."
The auto club AAA said 2023 had the second highest-year-end travel forecast since 2000, with more than 115 million travelers hitting roads and airways to get home.
Sebbens advised the best way to prevent illness is through vaccination. She added it is not too late in the flu season to do so, and those older than 65 can also get the RSV shot.
When it comes to prevention, Sebbens emphasized if you are sick, stay home. She noted it may seem like common sense, but good hand-washing goes a long way. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests scrubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds and added if you need a timer, to hum the "Happy Birthday" song from beginning to end, twice.
"Covering your cough or your sneeze, either with a tissue or in your elbow if you don't have a tissue available, and you can certainly still wear a mask," Sebbens recommended. "I don't think there is any danger in having people mask for their own safety and health."
Sebbens added as children head back to school after winter break, she encouraged parents to teach them good hand hygiene to mitigate getting sick as well as learning to wipe down frequently touched surfaces to avoid the spread of germs.
