13abc.com: Breaking News, Weather and SportsWhat's Going Around: viral illness, some allergies

A contagious virus is making the rounds, and something somewhat unusual for this time of year.  

13abc's Susan Ross Wells paid a visit this morning to ProMedica Family Physician Dr. Cathy Cantor. She says there's plenty bringing patients in right now. 

"Really what we're seeing is a lot of sinus infections right now, but also a viral illness that's going around that's kinda giving the common cold symptoms as well as some GI symptoms with the vomiting and diarrhea kinda combined," says the doctor. 

Dr. Cantor says all you can do is treat the symptoms with rest, tylenol or ibuprofen for the fever and over the counter diarrhea medicines. She says its contagious and easily spread, so stay home if you're sick. If you feel you have to go in to work... Keep this in mind. 

"Number one is make sure you're washing your hands and certainly too if you're working at a desk where a lot of people share that desk, make sure you're kind of wiping it down with Lysol wipes or antibacterial wipes as well." 

She's seeing something else kind of unusual for this time of year: allergy symptoms in some patients. The doctor says she can't help but wonder if our mild winter is a factor. 

"We did have those warmer days and that may have warmed up a little bit kinda pollen areas, things like that," she says. "But we are still seeing a lot of that and seeing a lot of our asthmatic patients get exacerbations this time of year that are needing antibiotics and steroid treatments that are normally well controlled and it certainly could be the weather." 

Dr. Cantor says she's still not seeing any influenza in her office, but she has heard that some doctors have seen it in their offices. She says sometimes flu season hits our area in February and March. With that in mind, Dr. Cantor says its not too late to get a flu shot.