Flu Season in Northern Virginia: How to Prevent and Treat
Flu Season in Northern Virginia: How to Prevent and Treat
Flu season is in full swing here in Virginia, with the Virginia Department of Health reporting widespread influenza activity in our state, as well as many states across the country. The season has started earlier this year and is not expected to wind down anytime soon. While getting vaccinated early is ideal, there’s still plenty you can do to keep yourself and your loved ones healthy this flu season.
Get Vaccinated
According to the CDC it’s still not too late to get your flu shot. It takes about two weeks for the shot to offer protection, but there are likely still several month of flu season ahead. Getting your shot isn’t a surefire prevention for getting sick, but it does offer increased protection.
Be Vigilant About Stopping the Spread of Germs
The best way to prevent the spread of germs is through frequent handwashing. After pumping gas? Wash your hands. Did you use a public touchscreen? Sanitize. Use those shopping cart wipes when grocery shopping, and always wash your hands upon arriving home.
Children can benefit from frequent reminders, as well. Reinforce handwashing before meals, after bathroom use and when they get home from school each day. Parents should also consider washing coats and sanitizing lunch boxes and backpacks more frequently during flu season.
And make sure you’re washing correctly. Check out these tips from the CDC for the best ways to wash.
Staying Healthy
During flu season, add a little extra germ-fighting power to your day. Stay at least 6 feet away from sick individuals and avoiding touching surfaces that may have been sneezed or coughed upon.
If you catch the flu, stay home! Staying home and resting is doing your part to minimize the spread of this highly contagious illness. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when sneezing or coughing, and wash or sanitize your own hands frequently when you’re sick. This will help keep others around you healthy.
In most cases, staying home and resting is the best treatment. However, if you are in a high-risk category or symptoms are extremely severe, there are antiviral medications that can decrease the severity and duration of the flu, but they must be started early on. Visit your doctor for a flu test within the first 48 hours of symptoms setting in. Antiviral drugs can also help prevent the onset of more serious illnesses associated with the flu, like pneumonia.
As 2020 rolls in, we wish our community a happy and healthy start to a new decade! Remember to continue to eat a healthy diet, exercise and get plenty of sleep to stay at your best. Cheers!
Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Fire Department (OWL VFD) is one of the largest and busiest volunteer fire departments in the United States, with almost 300 members. OWL VFD provides fire suppression, EMS care and rescue services to 80,000 residents in our 27-square-mile area through the operation of three fire stations. OWL volunteer firefighters and EMT’s work the 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. shift, five days a week, plus 24/7 holidays and weekends. For more information on OWL VFD, become a fan on our Facebook page here.