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How to stay healthy during cold, flu and COVID-19 season

How to stay healthy during cold, flu and COVID-19 season
VICTIM. ALL RIGHT. 634 ARE HAPPENING NOW. A SURGE IN RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES LIKELY IMPACTING YOU, YOUR FAMILY, SOMEONE YOU KNOW RIGHT NOW. THIS MORNING WE’RE FOCUSING ON THE OUTLOOK AS MORE PEOPLE GET SICK IN OUR REGION FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT VIRUSES. WLWT NEWS FIVE’S DANIELLE DINDAK IS LIVE FOR US. THIS MORNING, GETTING ANSWERS FROM DOCTORS AT HOSPITALS IN OUR REGION. DANIELLE, WHAT DID THEY HAVE TO SAY? GOOD MORNING KELLY AND STEPHEN. YOU KNOW WE JUST FINISHED UP THE HOLIDAY SEASON, A TIME WHERE MANY PEOPLE WERE GOING OUT AND SHOPPING IN LARGE CROWDS OR ATTENDING FAMILY PARTIES. WELL, GUESS WHAT? ALL THOSE PEOPLE ARE HEADING BACK TO WORK AND SCHOOL. SO I HAD THE CHANCE TO TALK TO DOCTORS IN THE AREA WHO DID CONFIRM TO ME THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING PRETTY SICK RIGHT NOW, AND THEY DID SAY IT’S ONLY THE BEGINNING. WE’RE SEEING MORE FLU IN KIDS RIGHT NOW, BUT IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING INTO THE ADULT POPULATION. COVID IS PRIMARILY BEEN SEEN IN THE OLDER POPULATION. THERE’S LOTS OF PEOPLE WHO WHO’VE HAD IT, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO END UP IN THE HOSPITAL ARE THE THE ELDERLY PEOPLE OVER AGE 70 AND PEOPLE WITH IMMUNE SUPPRESSING CONDITIONS LIKE CANCER AND OTHER CONDITIONS. AND NOW HE DID GO ON TO TALK ABOUT THE FLU AND HE DID SAY, THERE IS STILL TIME FOR YOU TO GET YOUR FLU SHOT, BUT IT’LL TAKE ABOUT TWO WEEKS FOR THOSE ANTIBODIES TO KICK IN. GUYS. YEAH. DANIELLE. SO LAST WEEK WE REPORTED ABOUT A MYSTERIOUS RESPIRATORY ILLNESS THAT WAS SPREADING ACROSS KENTUCKY. AND THEN ALSO ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WERE THEY ABLE TO TELL YOU ANYTHING MORE ABOUT THAT? YEAH. KELLY, ANY TIME YOU COME DOWN WITH SOMETHING, YOU ALWAYS WANT TO KNOW WHAT DO YOU HAVE? AND SO I DID HAVE THE CHANCE TO TALK TO DOCTORS ABOUT THIS MYSTERIOUS ILLNESS. AND THEY SAID, WHEN YOU GET A VIRUS, NOT EVERY VIRUS HAS A NAME OR A TEST FOR IT. THIS IS MY ANECDOTAL, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCE, BUT I’VE SEEN THE ONES THAT ARE TESTING NEGATIVE FOR COVID AND FLU ARE STAYING SICK WITH THIS RESPIRATORY ILLNESS FOR TWO WEEKS. AND IN SOME TIMES UP TO 21 DAYS OF JUST LINGERING COUGH CONGESTION, YOU KNOW, KIND OF ALL THOSE COLD SYMPTOMS. AND THEY’RE NOT IT’S NOT THAT TYPICAL 3 TO 5 DAYS OF ILLNESS AND THEN GET BETTER OVER THE NEXT 3 TO 4 DAYS. IT’S IT’S DRAGGING OUT WHATEVER IT IS. NOW SHE ALSO MENTIONED RSV AND HOW IT’S A REAL CONCERN RIGHT NOW FOR KIDS AND ADULTS. BUT SHE DID. SAY NO MATTER WHAT ILLNESS YOU COME DOWN WITH, MAKE SURE YOU REST AND MONITOR YOUR SYMPTOMS. IF THEY DON’T GET ANY BETTER, MAKE SURE TO REACH OUT TO YOUR DOCTOR. KELLY. ALL RIGHT, DANIELLE, GETTING THE ANSWERS FROM DOCTORS. WE CONTI
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How to stay healthy during cold, flu and COVID-19 season
Winter is here, inflicting its usual array of symptoms – coughs, nasal congestion, fatigue and fever – and, this year, a new COVID-19 variant is dominating the scoreboard.COVID-19 is leading hospital admissions among the respiratory viruses, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Last week, 25 U.S. states had high or very high levels of respiratory illnesses with fever, cough and other symptoms. That's down from 37 states the week before, the CDC said.Since the beginning of October, there have been at least 16 million illnesses, 180,000 hospitalizations, and 11,000 deaths from flu so far this season. The CDC said 47 children have died of flu.January can be the worst month for these illnesses. With vaccination rates low, what can you do to protect yourself from respiratory viruses, including influenza, COVID-19 and RSV?Back to basics Hand-washing remains crucial to reducing the spread of viral infections. Take your time at the sink. Twenty seconds is recommended. If you feel silly singing "Happy Birthday" twice while you scrub with soapy water, count to 20. Slowly.Use hand sanitizer with 60% alcohol when you don't have access to soap and water.Also, wear a mask in crowded areas. Increase ventilation in your workplace and home.Not too late to vaccinateIn the United States, only 17% of those eligible have received the updated COVID-19 vaccine, which provides good protection against the now-dominant JN.1 variant.It's not too late to roll up your sleeve. While you're at it, make sure you've had your annual flu shot. Those 60 and older may want to get the RSV vaccine, which also is recommended during pregnancy to prevent RSV in infants.When you have children at home Young children seem to pick up every germ going around. Can their parents avoid getting sick?This time of year, children are indoors in close quarters with other kids, touching the same toys and surfaces, said Jennifer Sonney of University of Washington School of Nursing in Seattle. Some haven't learned to cover their coughs and they simply haven't been exposed to many illnesses, so their immune systems are still developing.Video above: Mother warns to take flu seriously, get children vaccinatedIt's important to take care of yourself if you're a parent or caregiver of young children, said Sonney who is immediate past president of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners."We know if you are sleep deprived or dehydrated or experiencing a lot of stress, that can compromise your immune function," Sonney said.Having young children is very demanding, "so all of this advice needs to be interpreted within the context of reality," she said. "Despite doing everything right, kids are still going to get colds."A special note if your baby is sick: It's a good idea to have saline drops and a bulb syringe at home. They can be used to clear mucus from tiny nostrils."A couple drops of saline into one nostril and suction it and then do the other side," Sonney said. "Doing that before eating and sleep is going to help a lot."A home kit for children could also include acetaminophen or ibuprofen for fevers, tissues for runny noses and water bottles of sippy cups for staying hydrated.Test to treatIf you do get sick, prompt testing can help determine whether you have COVID-19 or influenza. That's important to see if you need one of the medicines that can help prevent severe illness: Paxlovid for COVID-19 and Tamiflu for flu.If you don't have a test kit at home, look for a test-to-treat site at a pharmacy clinic or health center near you. There is also a free home-based test-to-treat program for adults who are uninsured or rely on government health insurance.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Winter is here, inflicting its usual array of symptoms – coughs, nasal congestion, fatigue and fever – and, this year, a new COVID-19 variant is dominating the scoreboard.

COVID-19 is leading hospital admissions among the respiratory viruses, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Last week, 25 U.S. states had high or very high levels of respiratory illnesses with fever, cough and other symptoms. That's down from 37 states the week before, the CDC said.

Since the beginning of October, there have been at least 16 million illnesses, 180,000 hospitalizations, and 11,000 deaths from flu so far this season. The CDC said 47 children have died of flu.

January can be the worst month for these illnesses. With vaccination rates low, what can you do to protect yourself from respiratory viruses, including influenza, COVID-19 and RSV?

Back to basics

Hand-washing remains crucial to reducing the spread of viral infections. Take your time at the sink. Twenty seconds is recommended. If you feel silly singing "Happy Birthday" twice while you scrub with soapy water, count to 20. Slowly.

Use hand sanitizer with 60% alcohol when you don't have access to soap and water.

Also, wear a mask in crowded areas. Increase ventilation in your workplace and home.

Not too late to vaccinate

In the United States, only 17% of those eligible have received the updated COVID-19 vaccine, which provides good protection against the now-dominant JN.1 variant.

It's not too late to roll up your sleeve. While you're at it, make sure you've had your annual flu shot. Those 60 and older may want to get the RSV vaccine, which also is recommended during pregnancy to prevent RSV in infants.

When you have children at home

Young children seem to pick up every germ going around. Can their parents avoid getting sick?

This time of year, children are indoors in close quarters with other kids, touching the same toys and surfaces, said Jennifer Sonney of University of Washington School of Nursing in Seattle. Some haven't learned to cover their coughs and they simply haven't been exposed to many illnesses, so their immune systems are still developing.

Video above: Mother warns to take flu seriously, get children vaccinated

It's important to take care of yourself if you're a parent or caregiver of young children, said Sonney who is immediate past president of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners.

"We know if you are sleep deprived or dehydrated or experiencing a lot of stress, that can compromise your immune function," Sonney said.

Having young children is very demanding, "so all of this advice needs to be interpreted within the context of reality," she said. "Despite doing everything right, kids are still going to get colds."

A special note if your baby is sick: It's a good idea to have saline drops and a bulb syringe at home. They can be used to clear mucus from tiny nostrils.

"A couple drops of saline into one nostril and suction it and then do the other side," Sonney said. "Doing that before eating and sleep is going to help a lot."

A home kit for children could also include acetaminophen or ibuprofen for fevers, tissues for runny noses and water bottles of sippy cups for staying hydrated.

Test to treat

If you do get sick, prompt testing can help determine whether you have COVID-19 or influenza. That's important to see if you need one of the medicines that can help prevent severe illness: Paxlovid for COVID-19 and Tamiflu for flu.

If you don't have a test kit at home, look for a test-to-treat site at a pharmacy clinic or health center near you. There is also a free home-based test-to-treat program for adults who are uninsured or rely on government health insurance.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.