It may seem like only last week that the summer temperatures faded — because it was — but it’s already time to think about protecting yourself against flu, COVID-19, and other respiratory ailments.
“We have started to see some flu patients come in through our doors,” says Denise Ramos, a clinical infection preventionist nurse at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center.
According to he Virgina Department of Health’s respiratory illness tracker, the number of cases is low but trending upward. Flu, COVID-19, and RSV cases are all up slightly over this time last year.
Ramos says those numbers will only go up as the school year continues and the temperatures go down — both things that lead to more people concentrated in indoor spaces. And numbers will climb as real cold weather starts, especially in January and February.
“All it takes is someone to be a little bit sick, have those flu-like symptoms, and then it just starts to spread,” Ramos says. “Our kids are infamous for that at schools. That’s where they pick up all that, and then share it with the rest of the family as well. At work too, you can contract the virus.”
“The moment you sneeze or you cough or you touch something, it floats in the air,” Ramos says. “That’s when it spreads, and it causes everybody else to come in contact with that and become sick.”
Tips for Staying Healthy
Ramos offers these prevention tips:
Wash your hands: “Hand hygiene is number one,” Ramos says. “If we do that, we can pretty much mitigate at least 95%” of virus problems. Remember, use hot water and wash for at least 20 seconds (long enough to sing “Happy Birthday” or the chorus to “I Want to Hold Your Hand” any one of a number of songs). Wash frequently, especially after you’ve touched someone.
“We should encourage our children to do it as well — when they’re in school, before their meals, after they’re touching their faces — that’s the best way,” Ramos says.
Wear a mask: We all started doing that during the pandemic, but it still works. Public transport is an especially good time to protect yourself.
Stay home if you’re sick: If you have flu symptoms, “Stay home. Take care of yourself, contact your primary care physician,” Ramos says. “Don’t send your kids to school. Take care of yourself instead of spreading it around with everybody else.” Sometimes you don’t know you have the virus, because your symptoms are really mild, or you might not even have them, Ramos says.
Cover up: “If you’re going to sneeze, sneeze into your sleeve or into a Kleenex,” Ramos says. “Don’t sneeze out into the environment. Just basic things like that will help.”
Get vaccinated: “The flu vaccine doesn’t mean that you’re not going to get it,” Ramos says. “It just means that your symptoms are going to be way less than what anybody else would see without it.” That goes for COVID-19 too. And it’s especially important for older people and those with risk factors such as other respiratory issues. You can get both vaccines at one time, and “it will definitely help you mitigate any type of symptoms, and even contracting [these diseases].”
The flu and COVID-19 viruses change every year, and thus so do the vaccines. “It is a yearly virus. At some point we’ll be exposed to it, and the better prepared you are for it, the better you are capable of handling it.”
Sentara recently partnered with a local farmers market to provide flu shots. And you can find clinics at local pharmacy or other locations in your community.
