Coughs, sniffles, sneezes and throat clearing in the winter are as common as discarded Christmas trees on streets, but health experts say more people are ailing right now from a recent spike in COVID-19 and other virus cases.

The increase of sick New Yorkers across the five boroughs has even resulted in NYC Health + Hospitals putting a mask mandate back in place for all 11 of their public hospitals, as well as for their health clinics and nursing homes.

But it’s not just New York City that’s experiencing an increase in respiratory illnesses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said national COVID-19 hospitalizations jumped 17% in one week just before Christmas.

New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said New Yorkers aren’t imagining all those sounds of coughing and sneezing.

“The cases of COVID, the cases of flu are on the rise. Cases of RSV have actually hit their peak and we think are on the way down, which is good news for adults and kids, but what I want to say to New Yorkers is that it’s not inevitable that we’re all just going to get sick,” Vasan told “Mornings On 1” anchors Jamie Stelter and Shannan Ferry Wednesday.

The city’s doctor offered up a list of ways for New Yorkers to stay healthy as the winter months settle over the city, chief among them is vaccinations.

“If you haven’t gotten your updated COVID-19 vaccination and flu shot, now is a perfect time to do that to get through the rest of the winter safely,” he said.

Also high on Vasan’s list is regular handwashing, wearing masks in crowded settings, and staying home when you feel you’re getting sick.