As Thanksgiving and the Christmas holidays approach, travellers prepare for crowded airports and hurried visits to loved ones. However, the coronavirus threat that kept many people at home over the previous two holiday seasons hasn’t vanished. This year, additional respiratory infections like the flu and respiratory syncytial virus are joining.
Abinash Virk, an infectious disease expert at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, stated, “Covid is still circulating, RSV is circulating, and influenza is growing.” “All three are terrible, especially in fragile or immune-compromised persons.”
According to Michelle Barron, senior medical director of infection control at UC Health in Colorado, norovirus outbreaks are also common during this time of year. People have been referring to the “tripledemic,” which includes the prevalent viruses cover, flu, and RSV, which often only produce mild cold-like symptoms. “I’m thinking no, this is simply the season of grossness,” she said.
Masks are no longer necessary on aeroplanes or other types of transportation, unlike the previous holiday season. However, if they visit grandparents, newborns, or other vulnerable friends and family, travellers may still want to take extra steps to avoid carrying viruses with them.
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Health professionals advise people to take preventative measures to safeguard the most vulnerable individuals they intend to spend time with. According to Barron, individuals should travel, enjoy themselves, and enjoy getting together. You don’t want to be ill when on vacation, though.
Keep your vaccinations current.
Children as young as six months old can receive their primary vaccination course, while older individuals (age five and older) can receive new omicron-specific boosters. If it has been at least two months since receiving their last dose of the vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises individuals aged five and older to obtain a current booster.
When gathering for Thanksgiving, we urge residents to consider their risk & take precautions to celebrate safely.
🍁 Test before & after gathering
🍁 Wear a well-fitted, high-quality mask
🍁 Improve indoor air ventilation
🍁 Wash your hands frequently
🍁 Disinfect surfaces pic.twitter.com/nhDAJmTMoP— LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) November 24, 2022
For those above the age of six months, flu vaccines are available. Kris Bryant, a paediatric infectious-disease expert at Norton Children’s Hospital in Louisville and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases, advised individuals to get a flu shot if they haven’t already.
RSV, which can be particularly severe in young children, older adults, and immunocompromised patients, is currently not preventable by vaccine. According to Barron, individuals should travel, enjoy themselves, and enjoy getting together. You don’t want to be ill when on vacation, though.
Keep your vaccinations current.
Children as young as six months old can receive their primary vaccination course, while older individuals (age five and older) can receive new omicron-specific boosters. If it has been at least two months since receiving their last dose of the vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises individuals aged five and older to obtain a current booster.
For those above the age of six months, flu vaccines are available. Kris Bryant, a paediatric infectious-disease expert at Norton Children’s Hospital in Louisville and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases, advised individuals to get a flu shot if they haven’t already.
RSV, which can be particularly severe in young children, older adults, and immunocompromised patients, is currently not preventable by vaccine. Disguise when travelling. In most places, you are no longer required by law to wear a mask. However, according to experts, it is still a smart move – particularly if you want to prevent getting sick and infecting others.
Bryant stated that masking is no longer required but a decision to see her new granddaughter after working and attending a conference. “People can choose to wear a mask to protect themselves and the other members of their family who may be vulnerable if they are going into crowded places where they don’t always have the opportunity to step away from someone who is coughing,” she added.
Virk said she would “absolutely” wear a mask if she couldn’t escape the masses. According to Jessica Tuan, an infectious diseases specialist at Yale Medicine, the kinds of high-quality covers that are advised to guard against the coronavirus, like an N95 or KN95, “can also protect against influenza and RSV as well.”
She advised me not to feel awkward about being the only person wearing a mask. Wash your hands several times. You undoubtedly polished your hand-washing technique in the early stages of the pandemic. Still, you may have relaxed after the CDC stated that the coronavirus primarily travels from person to person in minute particles or droplets.
However, doctors noted that excellent hand hygiene is still crucial, particularly given the prevalence of several viruses. Tuan reminded them that the washing should last “at least 20 seconds.”
Bryant emphasized the significance of hand washing and added, “I know we’ve heard a lot about that during the pandemic. People should be mindful of cleaning their hands before handling a baby.” But nasal secretions contain RSV. Those nasal secretions can survive on surfaces if they get there. They might propagate in that manner.
According to the CDC, RSV can last “for many hours” on hard surfaces but only for a short while on soft surfaces, like hands. Barron advised washing your hands frequently to guard against “dirt and other things that are easily contagious,” even beyond the season’s major triple threat.
She stated, “If you thought about all the material that touches chairs and handles and doorknobs, it’s a huge avenue to transmit all sorts of things, and it’s pretty unpleasant.” Before gathering, test (more than once).
Virk advises coronavirus testing the day before and three days before travel as a precaution. To lower the chance that an infection would go undetected due to a false negative result, the Food and Drug Administration recommends serial or repeated testing with home antigen tests. While frequent testing may increase the sensitivity of home tests, Barron cautions that they are still not infallible.
No test is 100%, she declared.
Virk advised testing if one has any symptoms as a general guideline. If a person tests positive for coronavirus, the CDC recommends that they isolate and stay home for at least five days. Isolation can terminate after Day 5, whether there are no symptoms or they are improving. Through Day 10, those with milder illnesses should isolate themselves.
The organization advises those who test positive to cover their faces for the next ten days. And until Day 11, they should stay away from those more vulnerable to contracting a primary virus-related disease. Although there isn’t a quick at-home flu test or RSV test, medical professionals agree that knowing what you have is essential if you’re sick.
There are therapies available, especially for immune-compromised individuals who are aware that they have the flu or another illness, according to Virk. Recognizing when to leave, Bryant speculated that it may have been typical before the pandemic for someone with minor cold symptoms to attend an event and infect everyone.
She said, “We’ve learnt not to do that. “People who become ill, even with minor cold symptoms, should stay home and avoid contact with young children.” According to Tuan, travellers may wish to rethink visiting relatives who are moderate to severely immunocompromised or young children who may not yet have developed robust immune systems.
Travel only when necessary if you have a damaged immune system, she said. Barron concurred that a sick person should stay away from gatherings. If that isn’t an option, they should put on a mask, isolate themselves, or limit their outdoor activities. She advised me to be responsible and have a backup plan if I become ill.