JUPITER, Fla. — Sarah Weinstein feels a bit more back in the swing of things with her family at this point in the pandemic. Life is getting back to normal.
But for her and so many other parents, it's been kind of a sick spring for the family.
"It's like nonstop," she said. "It's one thing after another. If it's not, you know, a sinus infection or just a regular cold, next week it's the stomach bug or the stomach flu," she said.
If it sounds familiar, Dr. Angelica Johnson, a pediatrician with the T. Leroy Jefferson Medical Society, said that's because it is.
"The viruses are coming back with a vengeance," Johnson said.
She also said it's going to take a while for everyone's bodies to build back up immunity.
"Our bodies are like, 'OK, we haven't seen this in a while,' because when we were initially masking, we saw that the flu had dropped tremendously," she said. "We saw that the regular cold had dropped tremendously, and now it's rising up, again, because our bodies have to get used to it again."
She said parents may notice their children are getting sick quite often.
"Kids, they don't like to share much, but they will share a germ," she remarked. "Usually, we see it during the winter season, but right now again our bodies have to adjust and build up that immunity again."
Weinstein said she's noticed that, coming out on the other side of the pandemic, the colds and stomach bugs are "very strong" and it's "taking a longer time to get over them." But she's taking preventative steps at home, including vitamins and supplements.
"I'm big on having us all drink a lot of fluids, a lot of water, and trying to get good sleep at night," she said.
Johnson said to be diligent about hand-washing and sanitizing and to drink plenty of fluids. She also said that, although it may be frustrating, it's just another moment in time.
"Of course, it's going to get better," she said. "Remember, everything has its season. Right now, we are just fighting through this season but, yes, it's going to get better."
