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Protect against viruses with vaccines

Even as we change the way we think about COVID-19 and its variants — it is no less a danger, but we understand now what we need to do — there is another deadly virus in our midst, and one about which doctors are just as concerned.

“The flu is a nasty virus,” the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s Dr. Christina Liscynesky told WCMH in Columbus. “It makes people very ill with the flu and so that’s one of the reasons we follow this very closely.”

Flu-associated hospitalizations are up significantly in Ohio, as compared with the previous five years, and the increase in the number of cases — while not unusual as colder weather sets in — is occurring earlier than in previous years.

Ohio Department of Health numbers show 433 flu-associated hospitalizations statewide at the end of the latest available reporting period in mid-November. The average for the previous five years was approximately 20 cases statewide.

As is the case with COVID-19, however, there are measures we can take to fight this virus. Flu vaccines are available, and WCMH reported the doctors with whom it spoke for the report both strongly recommended getting a flu shot. All those other measures we employed to stem the spread of COVID-19 still apply.

For goodness sake, folks, even if you choose not to be vaccinated, use a little common sense and courtesy about making sure you are not spreading these viruses — particularly to those for whom either virus could be deadly.

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