UT Health East Texas launched the “Don't Bug Me” flu awareness campaign to stress the importance of preventing the spread of the flu at a time when COVID-19 is already impacting hospital capacity.
“The combination of flu, cold, other illnesses and COVID-19 could put a strain on our health care system in East Texas,” said Moody Chisholm, president and CEO of UT Health East Texas. “We know that we will have COVID-19 patients throughout the upcoming flu season, and what we can do together to try to minimize a potential surge in hospital capacity is practice the techniques that we talk about in the ‘Don't Bug Me’ campaign.”
Don’t Bug Me is aimed at educating the community about healthy lifestyle habits to prevent the spread of seasonal flu viruses and other communicable diseases. That includes getting a flu shot, practicing proper hand hygiene, covering coughs and sneezes, wearing a mask and social distancing.
UT Health partnered with the Northeast Public Health District and KLTV, which is airing commercials about the campaign.
“Don’t Bug Me is a fun way to stress the importance of the things we should all be doing, especially as we enter the cooler months, to help protect our neighbors and keep our community safe and healthy,” Chisholm said.
About UT Health East Texas
UT Health East Texas provides care to thousands of patients each year through an extensive regional network that includes 10 hospitals, more than 50 clinics, the Olympic Plaza Tower, 13 regional rehabilitation facilities, two freestanding emergency centers, regional home health services covering 41 counties, an EMS fleet of more than 50 ambulances and four helicopters, and a comprehensive seven-trauma center care network, including the region’s only Level 1 trauma facility.
As a partner with The University of Texas System, UT Health East Texas is uniquely positioned to provide patients with access to leading-edge research and clinical therapies while training and educating the next generation of physicians and other health professionals. The nationally recognized UT System also includes UT MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, as well as three other major university medical centers located throughout the state.