Doctor Warns of ‘Four Horsemen’ Diseases Disrupting San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO – Does it seem like everyone you know is getting sick? They might have one of what doctors call “The Four Horsemen.”

It’s not one or two, but four diseases that are circulating.

We went to Dr. Stephen Ramirez for answers. He says right now he’s seeing an unusual increase in all four viruses.

Dr. Ramirez said the rise started a few weeks ago and is affecting people of all ages.

“One in four patients are coming in right now because they have some sort of infection and it’s interfering with our lives,” said Dr. Stephen Ramirez of Stone Oak Family Practice.

“The CDC says the flu has affected 9.1 million people so far. There have already been around 110 hospitalizations and around 5,000 deaths from the flu this year. So that’s something we want to be aware of,” he said.

Dr. Ramirez explains that flu patients can experience the classic trio of symptoms, including headache, fever and muscle aches.

But for norovirus, the symptoms may differ.

“It’s more of a gastroenteritis virus, so it’s vomiting, stomach symptoms and diarrhea that usually lasts about two or three days,” he added.

We also spoke to a patient who came into his office.

Christina Serrano says she’s been sick recently and it lasted about a week.

“I had stomach issues, I felt tired, it reminded me a bit of Covid, but I didn’t test myself,” she said.

Serrano says she learned from COVID-19 that these viruses will come and go.

“Business people are affected because there is one person calling in sick and another person calling in sick. When it’s a small business and all your employees are out, that’s a problem,” she added.

Dr. Ramirez says to protect yourself, wear a mask for the next few weeks, use your elbows instead of your hands, and wash your hands with soap and water.

If you have pre-existing conditions like diabetes or lung problems, doctors say you need to be very careful.