Mild winter fuels illness

‘Tis the season for flu and colds, and health experts say the mild winter could be keeping Hoosiers sick. Although unusually warm temperatures have kept the flu bug at bay, they’ve provided the perfect breeding ground for other germs. About 80 percent of patients seeking treatment at Community Health Network’s MedCheck clinics have sinusitis, Director Linda Erwin said. The sore throat, coughing and congestion are treatable, but lingering symptoms can turn into bronchitis and bacterial pneumonia.