We saw higher-than-usual temperatures in March, but that doesn’t mean virus season is over in Santa Cruz County, writes Santa Cruz family medicine physician Patrick Cudahy. Viruses are still out there, he says, and while flu dominates in winter, COVID-19 strains tend to surge in warmer months. Since October, flu cases have caused 48 hospitalizations, compared to 22 for COVID-19 and 12 for RSV. Norovirus remains a concern, although local wastewater testing numbers remain low. Still, Cudahy warns, overlapping infections and shifting seasonal patterns can have serious consequences. He urges readers to wash hands, stay home when sick and get vaccinated.
