PACIFIC COUNTY — It’s the holiday season, which can only mean that it’s covid and flu season, too.

The U.S. has been rocked by a worse-than-typical flu season thus far, and local and regional health officials say that our slice of the country is faring no differently. In Washington, the state Department of Health noted in late November that flu hospitalizations were at their highest rates seen in 10 years at this point in the calendar.

In a press conference last week, Dr. Alan Melnick, the health officer for Pacific and other Southwest Washington counties, said flu activity in the region is increasing, and that it is critical for people to receive their flu shot as soon as possible to be protected against the familiar foe that had taken a backseat to covid-19 since the pandemic began.

Flu-like illness activity is very high in the state as a whole, according to the Washington State Department of Health. DOH issues weekly updates at tinyurl.com/WA-DOH-weekly-flu-update. Two Washington children and 11 adults have died of laboratory-confirmed flu infections so far in the 2022-23 season, DOH reported, the most in at least eight years. None of these deaths were in DOH’s west-northwest region, of which Pacific County is a part.

Along with the flu, covid-19 and RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, are also beginning to wreak havoc on area hospitals. For instance, PeaceHealth Southwest Washington Medical Center, a hospital that normally averages between 280 and 310 patients, is essentially full with up to 380 patients and a 42-bed emergency department with up to 130 patients.

RSV is a virus that particularly affects young children. As a virus that survives on surfaces, wiping things down and washing your hands frequently is recommended to better protect against the illness. Mild cases of RSV should start by being treated at home, Melnick said. If the symptoms don’t improve, or worsen, a call to a primary care provider or a visit to an urgent care clinic should be considered.

Along with getting a flu shot, Melnick urged people to get up to date on their covid-19 boosters to better avoid a trip to the hospital and help relieve stress on local hospital systems.

“I don’t think there’s anything abnormal about going in and getting a vaccine,” Melnick said. “It’s pretty quick, it’s pretty easy and it’s incredibly safe.”

County health director Katie Lindstrom said people in Pacific County have been sick with a mix of covid-19, flu, RSV and other upper respiratory diseases, and also shared her concerns that the hospital capacity in Southwest Washington is starting to become strained.

Flu shots are available locally via health care providers or local pharmacies. Lindstrom also recommended general prevention efforts such as handwashing, proper sneeze etiquette, staying home if sick — no matter what you’re sick with — and, yes, wearing a mask while in crowded public settings or around vulnerable populations like the elderly or immunocompromised.

Local appointments for covid-19, whether a primary series or booster shot, can be found at www.pacificcountycovid19.com/get-vaccinated. Appointments for booster clinics in Ilwaco on Dec. 14 and 19 remain available.

Oral antiviral medications and monoclonal antibody treatments are also available for individuals who test positive for covid-19 and are at high risk of developing severe illness. For more information about the treatments and how to access them, visit www.pacificcountycovid19.com/covid-treatments. The treatments are most effective if administered within the first few days of contracting the disease.