SEATAC, Wash. — Your chances of getting sick this holiday season are at their lowest in years.
According to the Washington Department of Health (DOH), cases of COVID-19, RSV and flu are down.
“I think the good news is we’ve learned a lot of lessons from COVID. And so using those lessons will help prevent people from getting sick,” said Scott Lindquist, MD, a State Medical Epidemiologist for WDOH.
Lindquist believes by getting vaccines, covering our coughs and wearing masks, we’ve been able to keep numbers from spiking.
“They get sick and they develop some antibodies or that they’re vaccinated or both. And as the community has more immunity to certain viruses, they tend not to have such a stronghold,” he said.
It was welcome news to travelers on Tuesday night.
“A lot of times we’re like reminded of like how the effects of COVID are like still with,” traveler Andrew Gallagher added. “To hear that is really, really, really refreshing to hear.”
Just because the numbers are down, it doesn’t mean they’re gone. Lindquist says people should still be cautious of crowds at the airport.
“There’s a lot of people from all over the world, so wearing a mask is a reasonable thing. But again, if you’re sick, you really shouldn’t be holding the new grandchild or the new niece or cousin,” he explained.
It’s why travelers, like Trina Pridgeon, are masking up.
“It’s just precaution, especially if you’re visiting elderly parents or elderly family members because they can get sick from whatever it might be on you from traveling in the airport,” Pridgeon said.
If you are staying in town, Lindquist says you shouldn’t underestimate the common cold.
“Remember when you were sick, you had just a common cold. You went to work anyways. You were like, ah, it’s just a common cold. I think we need to think twice about that. We need to be a lot more thoughtful,” he explained.
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