Allergies, Colds, Flu And COVID-19: How To Best Prep For Fall's 'Sick Season'

You might have hoped the coronavirus 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 the emergence of 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.

Now our unprecedented times are about to merge with the highly precedented. The flu routinely kills between 12,000 and 61,000 people in the U.S. each year, and COVID-19 has already killed more than 200,000, just since February.

Those big combined numbers of deaths can be scary, especially if you've skipped or postponed your usual health routines and check-ins with a doctor this year. Now's the time to get back in gear: Here are a few steps to improve your chances of staying healthy, even during sick season.