THE ESSENTIAL
- The first tip to avoid being contaminated by a winter virus is to get vaccinated against the most common ones such as Covid-19 or the flu.
- Barrier gestures are also very important: wash your hands regularly, isolate yourself and wear a mask if you are sick.
- To wash your hands properly, rub for at least 15 to 20 seconds then – if with water – rinse.
This is the fear of the end of year holidays: falling ill and infecting those close to you. To protect themselves, the experts of theStanford Universityin the United States, give five tips to MedicalXpress.
Precaution number one: get vaccinated
The first piece of advice is to check that you are up to date with your vaccinations and, if this is not the case, get vaccinated. In France, you can free of charge for Covid-19 and fluin a single dose. Respiratory syncytial viruses (RSV), which are very present in winter, are responsible for respiratory infections which can be serious in infants and people over 65 years of age. They must therefore be vaccinated.
“There is a misconception that vaccines [contre les maladies] respiratory diseases like Covid-19 and the flu do not reduce transmission, and that is not really true, explain Nathan Loassistant professor of infectious diseases. However, what is true is that often these vaccines only provide an average reduction in transmission. Even if this seems small at the individual level, it can be very significant in reducing the disease in the entire population.”.
Second tip: wash your hands frequently, with soap and water or with hydroalcoholic gel. This is a habit that we often adopted during the Covid-19 epidemic and which must therefore be maintained. “There is no set number of times per day you should wash your hands,” underlines Roshni Mathewclinical professor specializing in pediatric infectious diseases. She advises associating this gesture with other actions: before a meal, after going to the toilet, after blowing your nose, when you return home after going to a public space, etc. But be careful, you must wash your hands carefully: rub for at least 15 to 20 seconds then – if it is with soap and water – rinse.
Ventilate, isolate yourself and wear a mask
Most respiratory viruses can be airborne. If someone is sick in your home, you need to ventilate often. For those who are not sick, the best thing is to go out as often as possible so as not to be contaminated. Another tip: an air humidifier. Indoors, it can reduce viral load. Richard Zarea chemistry professor, advises maintaining a humidity level at home between 40 and 60%. “The humidity in this medium naturally creates antiviral compounds in microdroplets in the air”, he explains.
Another measure to avoid spreading the disease: isolate yourself. “If children have a fever, it is important to keep them home so they can rest and recover. advises Roshni Mathew. This also prevents transmission to other children in the class. In general, once you no longer have a fever, it means you are on the mend and the risk of transmission after this time is greatly reduced.”At home, if possible, it is preferable that the sick person stays in a room and, when in contact with others, wears a mask even indoors.
Finally, last advice: consult a doctor as soon as you deem it necessary. If a child has a fever, especially if it is above 38 degrees for more than three to four days, is not drinking and has respiratory problems, experts recommend seeing a practitioner quickly.
