Hidalgo County reported Tuesday 24 people are hospitalized with the flu, with two of them being treated in intensive care units.

Hidalgo County's top medical expert says hospital visits rose after the Thanksgiving holiday due to large gatherings — and he expects the trend to continue with Christmas right around the corner.

Residents are being sent to the hospital due to a “tripledemic” — a mixture of the flu, COVID-19 and RSV, according to Hidalgo County Health Authority Dr. Ivan Melendez

Despite the spike in hospitalizations, Melendez said the increase in hospital visits is not as dramatic as what's being seen in other parts of the country.

“Population density is one of the reasons why we're a little bit slower for our numbers to go up,” Melendez said. “But if you look at the last two years as an example, we're following similar numbers just a little bit later... So I expect in January our numbers to continue to be increasing."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Texas is one of the states with high flu activity.

Melendez added that those who are feeling sick should see a doctor and stay away from others.