Vaccine clinic in Lynnwood, California offering free flu and COVID-19 vaccines. Experts use the term “triple disease” for the rise of COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Mark J. Terrill/AP
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Mark J. Terrill/AP
Vaccine clinic in Lynnwood, California offering free flu and COVID-19 vaccines. Experts use the term “triple disease” for the rise of COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Mark J. Terrill/AP
This holiday season comes in the midst of the unwanted “triple plague” of COVID-19, the flu, and infectious diseases. respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) It’s a burden on hospitals across the country.
While the number of COVID cases is far lower than it was last winter, cases are rising nationwide, killing nearly 3,000 Americans each week. of respiratory viruses surged this fall.
More than 77% of hospital beds nationwide are occupied, down slightly from nearly 80% earlier this month, according to Department of Health and Human Services data.
NPR asked a handful of public health experts how Americans should approach the holiday season. They suggest that Americans consider the risks and take appropriate safety precautions to protect themselves and those most likely to face serious illness, such as the elderly and immunocompromised. I’m here.
Dr. Henry Wu, an epidemiologist and travel physician at Emory University, said: “We are entering a new normal where we have to navigate the best way to do what we want to do.”
Plan your vacation and take safety measures accordingly
Wu said now is the time to think ahead and think about what plans you have for your vacation. Which event is your highest priority? Who would you like to meet?
Then do a risk assessment. Think about how much risk of getting sick you can tolerate. The same goes for people you plan to meet. Are you a healthy young adult having a small get-together with other healthy young adults, or are you attending a large multigenerational family reunion where children and the elderly gather in the same house?
Thinking about these questions can help you decide which safety precautions to take. “Every family and every individual will be a little different,” said Wu.
Some may find it very comfortable to gather at a bar. Others, not so much. “If you want to do everything you can to avoid getting sick when you’re with them, and if you want to protect vulnerable people, whether they’re elderly or young children, definitely take a few lessons. Over the last few years,” he said, limit pre-travel exposure and test for COVID before traveling.
Get a flu shot and a COVID booster if you haven’t already
Every public health expert who spoke with NPR agreed with this simple way to reduce the risk to you and those around you.
Bivalent COVID-19 booster shots made by Pfizer and Moderna are available to nearly every American. including most childrenAnd for those who need or prefer non-mRNA shots, Novavax vaccine available as a booster For adults who have completed their first vaccine course at least 6 months ago.
Influenza vaccination is also important. CDC has at least 13 million Americans have already caught the flu this season, with more than 100,000 hospitalized. That’s a much higher number of cases than last winter, when many Americans were still following COVID-related precautions.
However, influenza vaccination coverage was low this year. Only about a quarter of American adults are vaccinated. According to the CDCDr. Preeti Malani, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Michigan, says people who haven’t been vaccinated should do so now.
“It means that this year’s vaccine is a pretty good match with the strains that are actually circulating. And like the COVID vaccine, flu shots don’t protect against all infections, but they do result in hospitalizations, deaths, and more.” , and help prevent infection,” said Malani.Said In an interview with NPR last week.
If you don’t feel well, please stay home
This was another easy source of agreement. “If you have symptoms, if you feel unwell, we ask that you stay home. says Mr. In an interview with NPR last week.
1 scientific review of 130 COVID studies Implemented by mid-2021 and published in the journal earlier this year pros medicinesuggesting that the risk of transmission from asymptomatic persons is much lower than that from symptomatic persons.
Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease expert at the University of California, San Francisco, has made staying home when sick “one of the most important things you can do to keep others safe this holiday season.” “That means not going to holiday parties when you’re coughing and sneezing.”
If you feel unwell, get tested. COVID tests are widely available at pharmacies and grocery stores this year. Also, your health care provider can arrange a flu test.
“If diagnosed early, there are antiviral drugs that can be used to shorten the course of the disease and the severity of the disease,” Wallenski said.
Move some activities outdoors and maximize indoor ventilation where possible
“I think ventilation is one of the most powerful ways you can protect yourself during respiratory pathogen season,” Gandhi said.
Respiratory diseases such as COVID struggle to spread outdoors, where natural air currents are highly effective at dispersing droplets and pathogens.
Not everything can be realistically moved outdoors. Many social gatherings and services are held indoors. For families who have been seeing each other from afar, spending long hours together indoors is unavoidable.
For more flexible plans, such as catching up with old friends from high school, outdoor activities can be considered, weather permitting. For example, a walk in the park, ice skating, or an outdoor holiday walk in his market. restaurant.
For indoor gatherings, Gandhi suggests doing what you can to improve ventilation. Please open the window if the weather permits. If not, HEPA filters, cracked windows, and ceiling fans can also help.
“I think this has really come out as the most powerful non-pharmaceutical intervention revealed during this pandemic because it just eliminates all respiratory pathogens,” she said.
Especially vulnerable people should consider wearing a quality mask in crowded environments
Sometimes indoor time in public places is unavoidable during the holiday season, such as travel and religious services. CDC health officials with some municipalitiesencourages people to wear “high-quality, close-fitting” masks in public whenever possible, especially for those who are more vulnerable, such as the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. .
“A lot of people are getting sick around us now, whether it’s on the subway or on the plane, especially in crowded indoor spaces. So wear that mask,” Marani said. rice field.
Research on the effectiveness of large-scale masks is mixed.
However In labs, masks such as N95 and KN95 have been shown to block viral particles.Wearing one of these high-quality masks can reduce your risk of getting infected when you’re around others who aren’t wearing masks, but of course it’s not foolproof.
“I don’t think it’s difficult to wear a mask,” said Wu. When she finds herself in a crowded, poorly ventilated indoor space, she “really recommends keeping that mask handy and using it.”
