How to avoid illness as COVID-19 and flu surge across state-You’re not powerless. Take these steps to protect yourself during the holidays. By Rong-Gong Lin II and Luke Money
A one-two punch of COVID-19 and the flu is sickening Californians — some so severely they’ve had to go to the hospital — interrupting daily life and threatening to upend holiday plans.
While both diseases are spreading, residents aren’t powerless — there are steps everyone can take to protect themselves and others.
Get your shots.
Vaccines are available for COVID-19 and the flu — and officials say rolling up your sleeve is a potent way to ward off severe illness.
The updated COVID-19 booster shot became available in September, but most people haven’t gotten it. Statewide, 19.4% of eligible residents have received the additional dose, according to the California Department of Public Health.
The bivalent booster is formulated to protect against the original coronavirus strain and the Omicron subvariants that dominated the nation throughout much of the year; namely, BA.5 .
“Getting that updated bivalent vaccine is the single most important thing you can do to make sure immunity is up to date and that you can fight the virus that’s out there,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator.
Among UC San Francisco employees and students, 1 in 100 who have gotten the updated booster have since come down with a coronavirus infection. Among those who haven’t gotten the shot, 1 in 20 have been infected, Dr. Ralph Gonzales, an associate dean at the university, said at a recent town hall.
“When you have good strain match with the booster and the vaccine, you actually do prevent quite a bit of infection,” Gonzales said.
Additionally, it’s not too late to get your primary COVID-19 vaccine series. In October, unvaccinated Californians were two times more likely to become infected and hospitalized and three times more likely to die from the disease than their vaccinated counterparts, state data show.
When it comes to the flu, this season’s shot is well matched to the circulating strains, officials say.
“Because any case of influenza can end up being severe, especially when it spreads to people who are at high risk — and this includes older adults and young children — we do ask that you know that it’s not too late to get your seasonal flu shot,” Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said.
Officials note that flu and COVID-19 vaccines can be administered at a single appointment.
“It’s really easy. It’s totally safe. It works. Your immune system is very good at being able to handle two vaccines at once,” Jha said Friday.
Wash your hands; cover your coughs and sneezes.
It sounds simple, but it’s true. Many viral illnesses, including flu and respiratory syncytial virus , are spread through touch.
“Spend at least 20 seconds scrubbing with soap and water, or use a hand sanitizer if you don’t have access to soap and water,” Ferrer said.
It’s also a good idea to disinfect commonly touched surfaces, Gonzales said.
Avoid touching your face as much as possible. Flu can be transmitted by touching a virus-contaminated surface and then touching your hand, eye or mouth.
“Very good studies have shown that if we can double down our efforts to be vigilant about this, that will increase our chances of staying flu-free,” Gonzales said.
The coronavirus, on the other hand, is primarily transmitted through the air — i.e., when an infected person coughs or sneezes. That’s why it’s important to cover your face with your elbow or a tissue when you sneeze or cough.
Urge sick people to stay home.
It’s a bummer to cancel events, especially after the interruptions of the last two years, but even a tickle in the throat or feeling of being under the weather should be a loud warning sign not to go out.
Take a rapid test before an event.
A coronavirus rapid test can identify asymptomatic people who are infected and contagious. The strategy is not foolproof, but it can help — especially if the test is taken as close as possible to the start of an event.
Take social events outdoors or open a window.
There’s a reduced risk of viral transmission when events are held outdoors. It’s better to offer beverages and food outside, if possible. Improving ventilation by opening doors and windows, or using an air purifier, can also help.
Consider masking.
Officials and experts say wearing a mask in indoor public settings can reduce the risk of infection from COVID-19 and other illnesses by blocking the respiratory particles that can spread disease.
“Wearing a mask in indoor public places, among other safety measures, effectively slows the spread of respiratory viruses that make children and the elderly very sick,” the California Department of Public Health has said. Masking can “significantly slow the spread and protect babies and young children who do not have immunity and are too young to wear a mask themselves,” the department tweeted this week.
Sleep, exercise and manage stress.
“During the holiday period … we tend to get really busy with work, and with this surge, we have a lot of inactivity and stress,”
Gonzales noted. “And what we know from studies of medical students before finals, and with marathon runners, is that stress —whether it’s mental stress or physical stress — does increase your risk of getting infected with respiratory viruses. And that risk increases two- to threefold.”
He suggests these good-health habits: Get plenty of sleep, stay physically active, manage stress, drink plenty of fluids and maintain a nutritious diet.
Vitamin C could help.
Vitamin C might help stave off infections.
Gonzales, a long-distance runner, notes that 50% to 70% of the time when runners get colds and flus, it is after large events.
“Randomized trials show that 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C, once a day, can help cut that risk in half,” Gonzales said. “And then there’ve also been studies of vitamin C in people before finals, who have had lack of sleep and lots of stress, to show that it also helps with that.”