You might have hoped the pandemic would cancel what we doctors usually think of as “sick season,” but as cool weather signals the annual arrival of autumn allergies, colds and flu in the U.S., sick season is still right on schedule.
In my clinic, that means a flurry of visits and calls from patients worried about their runny noses, coughs and sore throats.
Before COVID-19, it was already tough for patients to know how seriously to take those common symptoms. Allergies and colds are mostly just a nuisance, but a severe case of the flu can kill.
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