Do get a seasonal flu shot.
"
The Center for Disease Control recommends everyone above the age of 6 months have a seasonal flu shot unless medically contraindicated," says Mercedes. "Flu vaccines are developed to anticipate what influenza strains might be most common during an upcoming season. This may sound hit-and-miss, but even so there is still value. The flu vaccine challenges your immune system, giving it a 'boost,' and there may be cross protection to other strains."
But what about those who refuse immunization because "I got the flu shot once, and it made me sick!"?
Despite this popular excuse, there is no correlation between injection and illness. Folks who become sick on the heels of receiving a flu vaccine simply have had the bad luck to either have been exposed before being protected or to have encountered one of the thousands of virus strains not included in that year's vaccine. Even in these cases, " ... if you've had the vaccine, chances are good your immune system will have a better response, and the severity and duration of your flu may be reduced. Get the vaccine!" Mercedes counsels.
Don't be gross.
If you do come down with a bug, keep it to yourself.
"Coughing and sneezing launches virus-filled water droplets into the air, Mercedes says. "Those particles can go right to the mucus membranes - the eyes, nose, and mouth - of your nearest neighbor and expose them to your illness."
That doesn't sound very neighborly, does it?
"Use tissues liberally to cover your nose or mouth as you cough and sneeze, and wash or sanitize your hands in between bouts. In a pinch, use the inside crease of your elbow, not your bare hands, to keep from spraying everyone around you with your germs."
Do. Wash. Your. Hands.
Hands down: The number one way to prevent the spread of all kinds of disease is hand-washing. "Frequent, thorough hand-washing," Mercedes recommends. "Rub your hands together with plain soap -
not antibacterial - and warm water during the time it takes you to singTwinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. This alone could keep you illness free all season."
Don't be That Guy.
Mercedes bemoans the mentality of medical stoicism that suggests working through illness is a sign of virtue and strength.
"I know it's hard to miss work or school, and you might be inclined to just 'power through,' but really ... do everyone a favor and stay home, especially if you have a fever. People who go out in public while ill are spreading disease."
And consider this: You might get through your bout of something unpleasant without any severe complications, but if you go out while ill, you could be putting other people - those who are immuno-comprimised, elderly, or very young babies - at great risk for serious illness. Don't do that.
"You should be fever free for 24 hours ... without having taken any over-the-counter fever medicines ... before you head back to work or school. Have tissues, wipes, and even some hand sanitizer to use to keep others around you protected," says our expert.
Do keep your distance.
Conversely, you will inevitably encounter that person who refuses to stay home and goes out and about while ill. Mercedes counsels you to stay away from that person.
"... Politely, of course," she laughs. "'Social distancing' describes space you should keep around yourself when in the presence of others who are ill. Three to six feet is a good rule of thumb; droplet-borne illness doesn't settles to surfaces fairly quickly."
Mercedes notes some hospitals and clinics in the country have gone so far as to adopt the "fist pump" greeting in lieu of handshakes during this season to avoid transmission of illness.
Don't go to the clinic ... unless you have to.
It's a fact: Places that treat sick people are great places to get sick.
