Sick Season Guide: What to Expect and When to Seek Care

Sick season often brings coughs, congestion, fever, canceled plans, and children returning from school with new symptoms. This year, concern extends beyond respiratory infections. Gastrointestinal illnesses, including reported cases of cyclosporiasis, are also drawing attention.

Illness patterns vary by location, age, vaccination status, household exposure, and underlying health conditions. Knowing what to expect can help people respond earlier and reduce transmission.

What Doctors Are Watching

Respiratory illnesses

Fall and winter often bring more respiratory infections because people spend more time indoors, gather in closer quarters, and encounter less ventilation. Common illnesses include:

• Influenza
• COVID-19
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
• Common cold viruses
• Other seasonal respiratory infections

Symptoms may include cough, sore throat, fever, fatigue, body aches, headache, runny nose, and congestion. Flu, COVID-19, and other infections can look similar at first, so symptoms alone may not identify the cause.

Testing or medical advice can help when symptoms are severe, a high-risk person has been exposed, or treatment depends on identifying the infection. People at higher risk of complications should contact a healthcare professional promptly when concerning symptoms develop. See the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention respiratory virus guidance.

Vaccination, staying home while significantly ill, improving indoor ventilation, and avoiding close contact with vulnerable people can reduce respiratory disease transmission.

Gastrointestinal illnesses

Gastrointestinal infections can cause watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, bloating, loss of appetite, and exhaustion. They may spread through contaminated food or water, unwashed hands, shared bathrooms, contaminated surfaces, close household contact, or food prepared by an infected person.

A sudden bout of diarrhea is not automatically “just a stomach bug.” Viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections can cause similar symptoms but may require different tests and treatments. Norovirus is a common cause of acute vomiting and diarrhea, while other infections can last longer or return after temporary improvement. Persistent symptoms deserve medical attention.

Cyclosporiasis

Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal infection caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis. Symptoms may include:

• Frequent, watery diarrhea
• Abdominal pain or cramping
• Bloating
• Nausea
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Fatigue

Symptoms can last for an extended period and may improve temporarily before returning. This pattern does not prove cyclosporiasis because other infections and medical conditions can cause prolonged or recurring diarrhea.

A healthcare professional may recommend stool testing when symptoms persist, become severe, or suggest a parasitic infection. Prescription treatment may be necessary. Do not take antibiotics or other medications without medical advice; they are not appropriate for every cause of diarrhea.

NBC 6 South Florida reported that dozens of people had been hospitalized with cyclosporiasis while gastrointestinal illness cases were reported across 31 states Source 3.

This report describes outbreak-related reporting, not a prediction that every community will experience the same level of illness. Case counts, affected locations, and public health assessments can change. Check the CDC’s cyclosporiasis information and state or local health department updates for current information.

Hospitalization reports matter because severe diarrhea can cause dehydration and electrolyte loss. Older adults, young children, pregnant people, immunocompromised individuals, and people with serious chronic conditions may become dangerously ill more quickly.

How cyclosporiasis spreads

Cyclosporiasis is commonly associated with contaminated food or water. Possible exposure routes include:

• Fresh produce
• Contaminated drinking water
• Food handled by an infected person
• Travel to areas with inadequate sanitation
• Food or water exposed to human waste

Proximity to someone with diarrhea does not prove that cyclosporiasis was transmitted between people. Careful handwashing, bathroom cleaning, and food hygiene remain important because several gastrointestinal pathogens spread through contaminated hands or surfaces.

Warning Signs

Dehydration

Diarrhea and vomiting remove water and electrolytes from the body. Warning signs include:

• Very dark urine
• Much less urination than usual
• Dry mouth
• Dizziness
• Fainting
• Extreme weakness
• Confusion
• Inability to keep fluids down

Children, older adults, and people with chronic health conditions can become dehydrated faster. When fluids are tolerated, take small, frequent sips. Oral rehydration solutions can help replace water and electrolytes after substantial fluid loss. People with severe symptoms should contact a healthcare professional rather than relying only on home treatment.

When to contact a healthcare professional

Seek medical advice for:

• Persistent or worsening diarrhea
• Blood in the stool
• High fever
• Severe abdominal pain
• Repeated vomiting
• Signs of dehydration
• Symptoms that return after improving
• Diarrhea after recent travel
• Illness in an infant, older adult, pregnant person, or immunocompromised individual

A clinician may recommend stool testing if symptoms continue or suggest a bacterial or parasitic infection. Some causes require prescription medication, while others improve with supportive care. Leftover antibiotics can worsen certain infections and make diagnosis more difficult.

Call the clinic before arriving if a contagious infection is suspected. The office may provide instructions to reduce exposure to other patients and staff.

Seek urgent or emergency care for: fainting, severe confusion, trouble breathing, uncontrolled vomiting, severe dehydration, severe or localized abdominal pain, bluish lips, or serious symptoms in a medically vulnerable person.

How to Reduce the Risk of Illness

Wash your hands

Wash with soap and water:

• After using the bathroom
• After changing a diaper
• After caring for someone who is sick
• After cleaning vomit or diarrhea
• Before preparing food
• Before eating

Scrub for at least 20 seconds, then rinse and dry thoroughly. Hand sanitizer can reduce some germs, but it does not replace soap and water for every gastrointestinal pathogen. See the CDC’s handwashing guidance.

Handle food safely

• Rinse produce under running water when appropriate.
• Keep raw foods separate from ready-to-eat foods.
• Use clean cutting boards and utensils.
• Cook food to safe internal temperatures.
• Refrigerate perishable food promptly.
• Clean counters and food preparation areas.
• Do not prepare food for others while experiencing vomiting or diarrhea.

Contaminated food may look and smell normal. Follow public health instructions during a confirmed foodborne illness investigation or outbreak.

Clean contaminated surfaces

Clean frequently touched areas such as toilet handles, bathroom fixtures, sink faucets, door handles, phones, light switches, and shared remote controls.

Clean vomit and diarrhea promptly and carefully. Wear disposable gloves, use a disinfectant according to its label, and wash your hands after removing the gloves. Wash contaminated clothing, towels, and linens separately when possible. Do not shake soiled laundry, which can spread particles.

Reduce respiratory transmission

• Stay home when feverish or significantly ill.
• Improve ventilation in shared indoor spaces.
• Cover coughs and sneezes.
• Avoid sharing drinks, utensils, towels, and personal items.
• Consider wearing a mask in crowded indoor settings or around medically vulnerable people.
• Stay current with recommended vaccines.
• Ask a healthcare professional about individual vaccine eligibility and timing.

The CDC respiratory virus prevention guidance covers staying home, improving air quality, and resuming activities after illness.

If Someone at Home Gets Sick

Keep water or oral rehydration solution, tissues, a thermometer, necessary medications, a lined wastebasket, cleaning supplies, and disposable gloves nearby.

Use a separate bathroom if practical. Do not share towels, washcloths, cups, utensils, or bedding. Increase ventilation by opening windows or using air filtration when conditions allow. For vomiting or diarrhea, place a washable container near the sick person and clean bathroom surfaces regularly. For respiratory symptoms, provide tissues and encourage cough etiquette.

Limit close contact between the sick person and infants, older adults, pregnant people, immunocompromised individuals, and people with serious chronic illnesses. Ask a healthcare professional about testing, treatment, and precautions for high-risk contacts.

Return to normal activities according to the illness and current public health recommendations. For respiratory illness, consider whether fever has resolved, symptoms are improving, and the person can participate without exposing others unnecessarily. After vomiting or diarrhea improves, continue careful hygiene because some pathogens remain transmissible after symptoms stop. Do not prepare food for others while gastrointestinal symptoms continue.

Why Symptoms Can Be Difficult to Interpret

Fever, fatigue, headache, and body aches can occur with influenza, COVID-19, other respiratory infections, and some gastrointestinal illnesses. Diarrhea can occasionally accompany a respiratory infection, but it can also indicate a separate digestive illness.

Noninfectious conditions, including food intolerance, medication side effects, allergies, and inflammatory bowel disease, can mimic infection. Severity and duration provide useful clues but do not replace professional diagnosis. Tracking fever, fluid intake, urination, vomiting, diarrhea frequency, and symptom changes can help during a medical consultation.

Avoid relying on social media outbreak claims. Check CDC updates, state and local health department notices, healthcare provider guidance, official testing recommendations, and official vaccination recommendations. An isolated case report does not prove nationwide spread.

The Bottom Line

What to expect during sick season depends on local conditions and the illnesses circulating in your community. Respiratory viruses remain a major concern, but gastrointestinal infections can also spread rapidly and cause prolonged symptoms.

Cyclosporiasis has received attention because reported cases across multiple states included hospitalizations Source 3.

Practical protections include washing hands, handling food safely, cleaning contaminated surfaces, improving ventilation, staying home while significantly ill, avoiding food preparation during gastrointestinal illness, and seeking care for severe, persistent, or recurrent symptoms.

Frequently Asked Questions

What illnesses are common during sick season?

Common seasonal illnesses include influenza, COVID-19, RSV, common colds, and gastrointestinal infections. The illnesses circulating at a given time vary by location, age group, exposure, and community conditions.

What is cyclosporiasis?

Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal infection caused by Cyclospora cayetanensis. It commonly causes watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite, bloating, and weight loss. Persistent symptoms may require stool testing and prescription treatment.

How long should diarrhea last before contacting a doctor?

Contact a healthcare professional if diarrhea is severe, persistent, recurrent, bloody, associated with high fever or significant abdominal pain, or accompanied by dehydration. Seek advice sooner for infants, older adults, pregnant people, and immunocompromised individuals.

Can hand sanitizer prevent gastrointestinal illnesses?

Hand sanitizer can reduce some germs, but soap-and-water washing is especially important after using the bathroom, changing diapers, or cleaning vomit and diarrhea. Follow public health guidance for the specific illness involved.

How can I prevent spreading illness at home?

Stay home while significantly ill, wash your hands frequently, avoid preparing food for others, clean high-touch surfaces, avoid sharing personal items, and improve ventilation. Separate bathrooms and sleeping areas can help when practical.

When should someone seek emergency care?

Seek emergency care for severe dehydration, fainting, confusion, trouble breathing, uncontrolled vomiting, severe abdominal pain, bluish lips, or serious symptoms in a medically vulnerable person.