As summer and fall wind down and temperatures take a turn into chillier winter ranges, New Yorkers tend to spend more indoors and less time in the park. And when people gather in small, confined spaces, the conditions are ripe for spreading infectious respiratory viruses, such as colds, flus, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Each year, between 9 million and 41 million Americans get the flu, to say nothing of the scores of people who get the common cold. COVID-19 numbers aren't where they were during the initial pandemic, but this viral infection has settled into a seasonal pattern and numbers of infections are already on their annual rise.
If you’d rather not spend time in bed battling a respiratory virus this winter, the team here at Forest Urgent Care, including Dr. Waiho Lum and Dr. Ping Wong, pulled together a refresher on best hygienic practices for avoiding infection (and infecting others).
Each year, thousands of scientists around the globe track respiratory viruses to figure out which strains will make their winter rounds. From this data, they create vaccines that can help prevent infection, as well as minimize illness.
So, a great first step in your winter hygiene is to see us for a quick round of vaccinations.
One of the best ways to avoid getting a respiratory infection is to avoid crowds of people. These viruses are typically spread through respiratory droplets from sneezing, coughing, and even talking to someone at a close range.
So, when you’re out in public, you might want to keep your distance and wear a mask in spaces where staying far away can be tricky (think subway).
Another great practice is to wash your hands frequently and resist touching your face with your hands between washes. You can also keep your hands clean by using a sanitizer.
If someone sneezes into their hand and then touches their phone, you can get the virus through the airborne droplets from their sneeze, as well as by touching their hand or their phone.
On the subject of hands, it may be time to do away with the handshakes and try a fist bump or some other greeting that doesn’t run the same risk of passing along germs as handshaking does.
If you’re socializing indoors or you work in an office, it can’t hurt to use some antimicrobial wipes on surfaces that you know have been touched frequently, such as counters, door knobs, etc.
A good way to fight respiratory viruses is to have a strong immune system. You can take a daily supplement to boost your immune health or make sure that you're getting the right nutrients from your diet. So, ditch those processed snacks and add more fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains to your diet.
Another way to strengthen your immune system is to balance getting exercise along with good sleep. And one certainly leads to the other — getting some exercise (but not right before bedtime) can help you sleep.
If you do feel like you have a respiratory virus, it's a good idea to get yourself tested so that you can protect others from becoming infected. We offer COVID-19 testing and we can also confirm whether you have another viral infection.
If you’re infected with a virus, we can guide you on weathering your illness while also providing you with tips to protect your friends and family from getting what you have.
With a little effort on your part, you can minimize your exposure to these respiratory viruses and have a healthy winter season.
If you have more questions about flu season hygiene, please contact us at our New York City office in Forest Hills, Queens. You can also visit our clinic during our hours of operation, which are Monday through Friday from 8am to 7pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 5pm.
