ECTOR COUNTY, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) – The director of the Ector County Health Department confirms that the county has seen a slight increase in the tripledemic-related cases of flu, RSV, and COVID-19. But she also says it’s not overwhelming local doctors and health experts, and she has a theory on why it’s happening.

“(People) were masking more. We were taking a lot more precautions back in 2020 and early 2021 that we kind of got relaxed with now. So if we could bring back some of those minor precautions like washing the hands more often and distancing when we’re sick, I think it makes a huge difference,” said Ector County Health Department Director Brandy Garcia.

Ector County may not be getting slammed by the tripledemic but that doesn’t mean West Texans aren’t feeling its effects. Across the nation, the tripledemic is causing shortages of certain medications and over-the-counter pain relievers, and the ECHD says some pharmacy customers have experienced that locally.

“We haven’t gotten any information from pharmacies but we have heard from parents. We’ve heard from people in our community that they’ve had difficulties finding Tylenol and things like that,” said Director Garcia.

And as Ector County waits for the weather to warm and the tripledemic to pass, the ECHD recommends stocking up on Tylenol if you see it and masking up if you’ve got to be around a crowd.

And if you want even stronger protections, the Ector County Health Department is offering flu and COVID-19 vaccinations, even to walk-ins.