Protect Your Health During Respiratory Virus Season

Fall and winter are the seasons when respiratory diseases always increase. There are three dangerous seasonal diseases that spread easily and cause many hospitalizations each year: Influenza (flu), Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and COVID-19. All are spread and can be prevented in similar ways.

Please follow these safety tips to protect yourself and others from these serious illnesses.

• Get vaccinated. The flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccines help protect you from disease and reduce the severity of symptoms if you do get sick.
• Wash your hands after you touch something that might be contaminated.
• Regularly disinfect things in your home or office that other people touch.
• Practice cough etiquette: cover your nose and mouth if you must cough or sneeze and avoid touching your mouth, nose, and eyes.
• Choose to avoid gatherings and situations where you might be near sick people.
• Don’t share touched items with people who might be sick.
• If you or a family member is sick, stay home until your symptoms resolve; don’t go to work or school.
• If you or someone in your family is sick, watch for symptoms of the three serious diseases: fever, muscle aches, significant cough, wheezing, difficulty breathing, headache, fatigue.
• If you think you might have the flu, RSV or COVID-19, contact your doctor or call a Bronson Care Advisor at 269-341-7788. Mild symptoms can usually be managed at home, but you might need to be tested or treated to prevent your condition from worsening.

Children under the age of one, or children with other health issues, are the most likely to get RSV. Extra care should be taken when they are around other people, especially other children and adults with respiratory symptoms, even if those symptoms are mild.

If we all take these precautions, we can limit preventable diseases from spreading in our community and help keep hospital beds open for patients with other acute medical needs.