The Knox County Health Department recently welcomed a new doctor to the staff – who is a familiar face in town. Galesburg native Dr. Mark Weichert has been practicing medicine for over 30 years. Erin Olson who is the Director of Wellness and Health Promotion at the health department said it’s nice having a doctor on staff. She says some people are comfortable just speaking with a nurse practitioner and some want to see the doctor. So it feels much like a family-feel office – with your medical, dental and behavioral health all together under one roof. With the time of year, peak flu season is upon us – and Weichert says another wave of the virus is due in another month in a half. The cold isn’t going to have an effect on the flu. “Viruses like influenza – they don’t really have much of a reservoir outside of people and people are generally warm and stay indoors when we need to,” Weichert said. “We’re excellent hosts for these things and we like to share them around. The cold weather has very little to do with disease manifestation. Although when it’s cold, we stay indoors much more so there a bigger chance of being in close proximity to those who may be ill and that’s a risk factor there.” He echoes the common tips during flu season: keep your hands clean and stay home if you’re sick. Those that may have gotten an early flu shot in the early fall and are particularly vulnerable to the flu may want to consider getting a second one.
