The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is warning the public that respiratory illness season is still here and that seasonal illnesses are on the rise in the region.
The health unit is reminding everyone that there is still time to protect yourselves and those around you.
As part of the effort to monitor the situation, the health unit is introducing a new wastewater surveillance tool to gain a better sense of the direction certain illnesses are spreading throughout a region.
Currently, this new data source shows COVID-19, influenza, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) continue to circulate past the holiday season with increasing strength into the new year.
WECHU Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Mehdi Aloosh, says the transition the community is seeing right now will change within the next couple of months.
"We see a reduction in the number of Influenza A, and then we see the rise of Influenza B," says "Dr. Aloosh. "So it really depends on the season and depends on the vaccination rate in our community."
Aloosh says the rise is part of the seasonal increases the health unit expects.
"This is why we initiated this dashboard, enhancing our dashboard for wastewater surveillance to give our community another tool to keep themselves safe from infectious diseases," says Dr. Aloosh.
The health unit continues to recommend that individuals stay protected through vaccination and prevention, including hand washing, masking, and physical distancing, to help slow the spread and reduce the effect of illness on our most vulnerable populations.
Aloosh says it's important to get your vaccines.
"Flu vaccine, RSV vaccine if you haven't received that, and stay home if you're sick; ask for medical advice if you feel sick; wash your hands regularly," says Dr. Aloosh.
Click here to find more on the WECHU'sInfectious Diseases Data Dashboard.