WEST LIBERTY- As the weather gets warmer, you may see an increase of people becoming ill. Cold and flu season is upon us, and here’s what you can do to keep yourself from getting sick this season.
Christy Bennington, a Director of Student Health Services at West Liberty University, explained that “with all respiratory illnesses, vaccination is still key.” The CDC states that between 60,000 and 160,000 adults are hospitalized as a result of RSV infections each year.
Bennington stressed that vaccinations, good hygiene, breathing clean air, spending time outside, and good nutrition and sleep can decrease your chances of getting sick.
Jacob Sigley, a Registered Nurse at Seneca Health Services located in Summersville, WV, said that people should wash their hands more frequently during the cold and flu season. “If you feel sick, check your temperature to see if you have a fever, because if you are fevered, you definitely don’t want to be around people,” explained Sigley. Sigley also said that it is often difficult to differentiate between the common cold and COVID-19 without a test.
Sigley highlighted the importance of managing your symptoms. If you are trying to get rid of the flu, Sigley said that Tamiflu is only effective 48 hours after getting the flu. Additionally, resting is important during the recovery process of both colds and the flu.
“If your symptoms are still persistent and they are not going away within at least 72 hours, then that’s when I’d go to be seen by the doctors,” said Sigley. He said that if you should isolate yourself from others, but if you can’t miss work or school, go to the doctor to get a school or doctor’s excuse. Also, the use of hand sanitizer is extremely effective at keeping the cold and flu away.
One practice to avoid when treating your sickness is the misuse of antibiotic medications. This can cause the bacteria in your body to become resistant to antibiotics, and you will be sick for longer. The Mayo Clinic states that 2.8 million people contract infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the United States each year.
Sigley said, “the misuse of antibiotics is actually a very prevalent issue because most of the time, a lot of people will just assume when they’re sick they need something like an antibiotic to make them feel better.” Additionally, Sigley said that antibiotics will only work with bacterial infections rather than viral. Going to your doctor is one way to distinguish which infection you have and how to properly treat it.
If you are interested, West Liberty University offers the flu vaccine for $20 in the Health Center located in the Shaw Hall Basement during the flu season, and you can receive an RSV vaccine from your healthcare provider or your local pharmacy.
