by Kate Evans
As flu season gets rolling and COVID-19 and RSV cases rise, it’s important to know that preventing the flu, COVID, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and other respiratory illnesses involves the same basic measures.
Follow the below advice from health officials to stay healthy year-round:
–Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
–Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer made of at least 60% alcohol if soap and water aren’t available for hand-washing.
–Cover your coughs and sneezes with a disposable tissue or your upper shirt sleeve-not your hands.
–Avoid touching your face, eyes and nose.
–Stay home if you or your child are sick, except to get medical care.
–Don’t send a sick child to school or day care.
–Avoid close contact with others, such as kissing, shaking hands and sharing cups and eating utensils.
–Clean frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs, telephones, counter-tops, cell phones and keyboards.
–Consider wearing a face mask, especially if you develop a runny nose, cough or fever or if you are at high risk of serious illness from flu, COVID-19, RSV or other respiratory illnesses.
–Avoid others that aren’t wearing masks if possible and ask others around you to wear face masks.
–Keep six feet distance between you and other people indoors and outdoors to avoid spreading COVID, flu and respiratory viruses.
–Get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids and take Vitamin C, D and zinc to help recovery from illness.
–Stay up to date on your vaccinations. Get the yearly influenza vaccine and the updated COVID vaccine soon to ensure that you and your family are protected during the holidays.
