New numbers came out Thursday about how many folks have been sick with either Flu, RSV or COVID-19.

As of Thursday in Alabama, more than 6% of all emergency room patients are showing symptoms of a respiratory virus. Most of those people have the flu.

District Medical Officer Dr. Wes Stubblefield says this year we are seeing flu cases spiking in December, which he says is not unusual, but something to remember as you get around more friends and family.

Dr. Stubblefield says right now, about 4% of people with the flu end up in the ER and he says hospitals are handling the caseload for now.

Still, with many of you expected to visit loved ones in the next few weeks, Dr. Stubblefield says it is important to take efforts to protect you and your loved ones.

He says getting vaccinated, finding proper testing if you don’t feel 100%, and washing your hands are critical to staying healthy around the tree with your family this year.

“I think the other thing that people should do is understand that if they do have family members that are high risk, especially those that are older age maybe the very, very young, or those who have underlying medical problems, they need to be particularly careful. They need to know what to do if they do get sick or if they do get sick and how to seek medical care,” said Dr. Stubblefield.

Another thing Dr. Stubblefield stresses is that kids often can spread illnesses while experiencing little to no symptoms. So maybe take some extra caution around the kids this holiday season.