PIMA COUNTY, Ariz. — Students aren't the only thing coming back to the University of Arizona... their germs are coming too.
“You’re already hearing the sniffles in class, and I’m like, 'you guys, winter break. I thought you could go home and chill but what were you doing at home, what are you bringing back?'”
U of A sophomore Arturo Whipple fell victim to a virus before students left for winter break.
“It just felt like a constant headache," he said. "And it felt like my sinuses were super jacked up, and my throat was really scratchy.”
Those easy-spreading symptoms aren't contained to campus. Flu and RSV cases are rising all over Pima County.
Since September, Pima County has counted 3,250 flu cases; 403 of those were from this week. There have been 342 cases of RSV, with 62 added this week.
Cases for both viruses are up from last week by 24%.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists Arizona as a state with a "very high" rate of respiratory illnesses, and they're recommending all the classic prevention measures: washing hands, wiping down surfaces, covering your cough or sneeze and staying away from those with symptoms, even if that means missing a class or two if you're sick.
