>> IT'S DEFINITELY A LOT OF VARIOUS VIRUSES THAT HAVE BEEN GOING AROUND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. >> YEAH, VIRUSES THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO CATCH COLD AND FLU SEASON TAKING A TOLL ON A LOT OF US. WE ALL HAVE OUR OWN REMEDIES. BUT IN TONIGHT'S COVER STORY, ABC 7 SARAH MANKIEWICZ IS FINDING OUT SURPRISING AND SIMPLE WAYS TO KICK YOUR COLD TO THE CURB. >> WE'RE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF COLD AND FLU SEASON TAKING A TOLL ON MANY OF OUR IMMUNE SYSTEMS. WE'VE BEEN SEEING KIND OF A MIX OF DIFFERENT VIRUSES, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN INFLUENZA, A INFLUENZA B AND COVID DR. ETHAN RAMIREZ IS PART OF THE FAMILY MEDICINE PROGRAM AT LEE HEALTH. HE TELLS ME THERE ARE A LOT MORE FLU CASES ALONG OUR GULF COAST THIS YEAR THAN THEY WERE LAST YEAR JUST IN THE LOCAL AREA OF THE NUMBER OF FLU CASES IS UP 3 TIMES. >> FOR DECEMBER COMPARED TO DECEMBER LAST YEAR. SO WE WANTED TO GET YOU MORE ON HOW TO KEEP THE GERMS AWAY FROM THE BASICS OF WASHING YOUR HANDS AND STAYING AWAY FROM SICK PEOPLE. THIS IS THE HARD PART, BUT IT'S LIKE TRYING TO AVOID TOUCHING YOUR MOUTH, YOUR NOSE, YOUR EYESWITH YOUR HANDS, BECAUSE THAT'S AN EASY WAY TO TRANSFER VIRUSES INTO YOUR BODY TO TAKING THE DOCTOR'S ORDERS. ONE STEP FURTHER IN SUPPORTING YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM, PREVENTATIVE LEE, TAKE IT DAILY. JUST ONE TABLESPOON A DAY, ESPECIALLY THIS TIME OF YEAR WITH A FLUS RUNNING RAMPANT COURT IN KREMMLING IS THE OWNER OF NAPLES ELDERBERRY. SHE TELLS ME HER KIDS ARE THE INSPIRATION BEHIND HER IMMUNE BOOSTING BUSINESS. I'M A MOM IT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF >> FLU SEASON. I WAS PREGNANT WITH OUR 4TH CHILD. AND KIDS WERE. >> STARTING TO GET SICK. AND SO I JUST STARTED DABBLING IN SOME NATURAL REMEDIES AND >> IT TOOK OFF FROM THEIR GRILLING, SAYS THIS NATURAL SYRUP IS PACKED WITH INGREDIENTS TO KEEP YOU HEALTHY. WHE THE VERY SURFACE MADE WITH OTHER BERRIES, CINNAMON CLOVES, GINGER, HONEY AND LEMON. >> SEE, YOU'RE GETTING BENEFITS FROM ALL THOSE INGREDIENTS AND THEY ARE ALL ORGANIC. >> I MEAN, SUPPORT STUDIES PUBLISHED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH HAVE SHOWN ELDERBERRY CAN MAKE COLD AND FLU SYMPTOMS LESS SEVERE AND SHORTER LIVED. HOWEVER, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE. THE SAME INSTITUTE SAYS THEY'RE STILL NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION TO SHOW WHETHER ELDERBERRY ITSELF ACTUALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE. WHEN YOU'RE SICK. YOU CAN ALSO TAKE GINGER AND HONEY TO BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM. >> NOT ONLY ARE THEY BOTH IN COURTNEY'S ELDERBERRY SYRUP. THEY'RE ALSO DOCTOR PROVED VITAMIN C VITAMIN D THOSE ARE ALL, YOU KNOW, HELPFUL. AND THEN THERE'S KIND OF LIKE SOME NATURAL REMEDIES THAT YOU CAN TAKE TO IF YOU DO GET SICK, WHICH LIKE HONEY, GINGER PEPPERMINT, THOSE SORT OF THINGS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE LIKE SOOTHING FOR SYMPTOMS. AND IF YOU'RE NOT INTO SWEET STUFF WHEN YOU'RE SICK, TELL MY PATIENTS LOT OF TIME TO TRY BONE BROTH BECAUSE IT HAS A BIT MORE PROTEIN IN IT, WHICH CAN HELP RECOVERING REPORTING IN LEE COUNTY. SARAH, MAKE WITH ABC 7. >> OF THOSE WORK. WELL, LET'S GET YOU MORE AS OUR PROMISE HERE ON ABC 7. THERE'S A LOT YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT THE SPREAD IF YOU'RE SICK, LIKE STAYING HOME, THAT'S ALWAYS A PET PEEVE OF MINE. BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THE SIGNS OF WHEN YOU ACTUALLY NEED TO GO SEE A DOCTOR. >> IF YOU'RE HAVING REALLY HIGH FEVERS, WE CALL A FEVER OVER 103 DEGREES FAHRENHE. WE CONSIDER THAT HIGH OR IF YOU'RE FEVERS CONTINUE FOR MORE THAN 3 DAYS WITHOUT STOPPING. IF YOU'RE STARTING TO HAVE SEVERE SYMPTOMS LIKE CHEST PAIN, SHORTNESS OF BREATH, OF COURSE, THAT'S A REASON TO COME IN. >> RAMIREZ SAYS IF YOU'VE BEEN SICK FOR LONGER THAN 10 DAYS TOTAL OR IF YOU'VE HAD A PERIOD WHERE YOU WERE FEELING SICK, SAY YOU'VE GOT BETTER FOR A LITTLE BIT AND THEN GOT WORSE. IT COULD BE A SIGN OF A BACTERIAL INFECTION. CHANNING GOING A STEP FURTHER LEAST PHYSICIANS DON'T WANT YOU TO HAVE TO SIT AND WAIT FOR A LONG TIME TO SEE THEM. THERE ARE WAYS THAT YOU CAN CHECK YOURSELF OUT. >> BEFORE YOUR CHECKED BY A DOCTOR, THIS IS THE GET CARE SYMPTOMS. TRACKER LAW HERE ON LEE HEALTH WEBSITE. YOU CAN MAKE AN POINTMENT YOU CAN TYPE IN YOUR SYMPTOMS AND CAN GET AN IDEA OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN YOUR BODY AS YOU CAN FIGURE OUT THE BEST COURSE OF CARE FOR. YOU CAN ALSO DO TELE-HEALTH VISITS PHONE OR DISPATCH SERVICE WHERE URGENT CA