The fall season comes with fun and festive activities, but also means the spread of seasonal illnesses that can quickly take patients by surprise. Viruses, colds, COVID-19, and other illnesses spread as more people spend time indoors, with larger groups, as the weather gets colder.

Seasonal illnesses begin to spike during the fall season and are prolonged into the winter months. While illness symptoms are never easy to deal with, the good news is that AFC Urgent Care East Hanover provides seasonal illness treatment for patients whenever they need to address sudden symptoms.

Here is a list of the top seasonal illnesses that you can get treated at a local walk-in clinic and urgent care center:

Common colds and rhinoviruses

The common cold is the most common seasonal illness in the fall, since it does not have a vaccine and spreads rapidly through immediate contact with other patients.

Common colds or “rhinoviruses” are minor illnesses that have evolved over time to resist vaccination efforts and are genetically varied. This means that many people could have slightly different variations of the common cold that lead to longer or shorter periods of symptoms. Common colds have light symptoms and usually dissipate in a few days.

However, lingering colds and seasonal illness symptoms like fatigue, congestion, and cough are easily treated at an urgent care center.

Influenza or “the flu”

Influenza is another common seasonal illness that impacts millions of patients every year in the United States. Unlike common colds, the flu has a seasonal vaccine that helps patients fight off the effects of symptoms and infection. However, flu can spread quickly depending on the rate of vaccination in local communities. Even with vaccines the flu can still spread.

Flu symptoms can last up to a week in serious cases and may require treatment at an urgent care center. Monitor symptoms and follow up with urgent care providers should symptoms worsen.

Urgent care centers also provide vaccines for the flu so you can get your annual flu shot well before flu season kicks off!

COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the world and how patients view disease prevention. The virus was once extremely challenging to manage but vaccines and patient education helped to lower the detrimental outcomes of the virus.

The virus still quickly spreads and leads to uncomfortable week-long symptoms such as nausea, fatigue, congestion, fever, and more. While symptoms are not nearly as dangerous as two years ago, it still helps to lower your chances of infection and the potential that you spread the virus.

Make sure you book a COVID-19 test at an urgent care center to evaluate symptoms and get illness treatment. Urgent care providers are also available to guide patients for their next follow up steps for COVID safety!