Fall 2025 Director's Blog

Staying Healthy This Fall and Winter: A Community Effort

As the leaves turn and cooler weather returns, so do the seasonal illnesses that affect our families, classrooms, and workplaces. At Tarrant County Public Health, we monitor these trends closely, and right now we anticipate increases in five infections in particular: pertussis (whooping cough), influenza, COVID-19, strep throat, and the common cold. Each has its own characteristics, but the way we prevent, recognize, and respond to them is something we all share responsibility for.

Prevention First

The most effective tool we have is prevention.

• Vaccination - Staying up to date protects not only you but also vulnerable people around you—infants, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems.
• Hand hygiene—washing hands with soap and water or using sanitizer—reduces the spread of all respiratory infections.
• Good ventilation is valuable during outbreaks, especially in crowded indoor settings.
• Staying home when sick is perhaps the simplest but most powerful step we can take to keep classrooms and workplaces safe.

Identifying Illnesses

Knowing what you’re dealing with helps you respond appropriately:

• Pertussis (Whooping Cough): Begins like a cold but progresses to severe coughing fits, sometimes followed by a “whoop.” Dangerous for infants and those not fully vaccinated.
• Influenza (Flu): Sudden onset of fever, body aches, chills, sore throat, and fatigue.
• COVID-19: Symptoms overlap with flu and colds—fever, cough, fatigue, loss of taste or smell—and can range from mild to severe.
• Strep Throat: Sudden sore throat, fever, swollen glands, and often white patches on the tonsils. Unlike viral sore throats, strep does not usually include cough or runny nose.
• Common Cold: Congestion, runny nose, cough, and mild fatigue. Typically milder than flu or strep.

Treatment: What Works and What Doesn’t

One of the most common misunderstandings I hear is about antibiotics. Of the five illnesses listed, only strep throat and Pertussis are treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics kill bacteria, not viruses. Antibiotics work mainly to reduce spread, though they will sometimes shorten illness once a diagnosis is established.

For flu, COVID-19, and the common cold, treatment is comfort care: rest, fluids, fever reducers, and time. For flu and COVID-19, antiviral medications are available in certain cases, so check with your healthcare provider quickly if you test positive or have symptoms. But please remember—taking antibiotics “just in case” for a cold or flu doesn’t help and can make future infections harder to treat due to resistance.

A Community Responsibility

As parents, teachers, and neighbors, we each play a role. Monitor your child’s health daily. Encourage good hygiene habits. Support teachers and schools when they enforce sick-day rules. Employers can help by allowing staff to stay home when ill without penalty.

The truth is, we’re all in this together. When one of us takes the simple steps to prevent spread, it protects the whole community—especially the youngest, oldest, and most vulnerable among us.

Let’s keep Tarrant County strong, healthy, and united this fall and winter.

Brian Byrd,

Director, Tarrant County Public Health