Heart Health: COVID-19 cases increase in the borderland, how to stay protected
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) – ABC-7 sits down to speak with Dr. Armando Meza, Chief of Infectious Diseases division at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center of El Paso, about the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the borderland.
Dr. Meza tells ABC-7 he’s concerned how the fall will affect COVID-19 cases, as well as cases of Influenza.
“We're seeing an increase in the cases there's been some, we’ve seen sub-variants that we’ve seen with Omicron, and the patients end up in the hospital. They're getting sick and we need to take care of them. So it's been a little bit of a worrisome situation in the last couple of weeks,” he said.
Dr. Meza said the symptoms of both COVID and influenza are very difficult to tell apart. Some things the community should look out for are fever, sore throat, and muscle aches.
“It is not possible for you as the patient to know whether you have influenza or COVID. So you need to get tested and find out which of the two are going to be the one that you have,” said Dr. Meza.
Most at risk during this time are patients with a deficiency in their immune system, patients with chronic illnesses, the elderly patients who are going to have the most complications with the infection.
“It's very important we have the vaccine now and you can get your bivalent COVID vaccine before you get your flu vaccine, and it's perfectly acceptable to do that and you'll be protected. And then you can wait for your flu shot next month,” he said.
“We have to realize that COVID and flu are going to stay forever. We need to protect ourselves, especially when we are sick. We need to stay home. But if we are out in the community, vaccination is the best way that you can protect yourself from any of those.” added Dr. Meza.
