It’s already happening, children and adults are getting sick this season. However, there are ways to prevent it.

Local Red Oak Middle School nurse Kimberly Martin said children and adults should be safe and wash their hands to prevent getting sick.

If someone does happen to get sick this season, Martin has advice.

“If you are sick, you should take antibiotics to prevent getting others sick and to help you get better.” Martin said.

The CDC (Center for Disease Control) supports  Martin’s suggestions and adds that people should avoid close contact with others who are sick, even if that means missing work or school.

Martin also stresses the importance of covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.

Germs spread when someone touches something with germs and then touches their face or something else, so it is also important to clean hands often.

Martin said that although she enjoys caring for the sick, she became a nurse with the goal of helping students stay healthy.

“Over 5 years, I have learned a lot about children, and what I can do to help them,” Martin said. “I like to take care of people, and that is one of the favorite things to do as a nurse.”

While she loves students, school isn’t the only place Martin uses her skills.

“The worst sickness I’ve treated wasn’t really a sickness, a man was having a heart attack,” she said. “So I had to treat him.”

From a stomach ache to a heart attack, nurses like Martin are there when others need them most.

However, the best move, is to not get sick at all, so to be safe this season, remember to wash your hands, take proper medication and eat well.