Flu Season Essentials
Flu season is looking even more challenging than normal this year and it’s well worth making sure you know all the essential ways to prepare, and all the supplies you need to stock up on.
When is Flu Season?
Flu and cold viruses are strongly seasonal: they don’t like warm weather and thrive in the cold, wet conditions. This means it’s most likely you’ll catch flu in the depths of winter, between December and March. This can change based on the weather and small mutations in the virus that can make it more or less hardy – outbreaks as early as October and as late as May are not unknown.
Get Your Jab.
Lots of people qualify for a free flu vaccine through the NHS: if you’re over 65, pregnant, are a care resident, suffer from certain health conditions or live with anyone in these vulnerable groups. You can also book a vaccine cheaply through your doctor or even many high street chemists. If you’re concerned about the impact of the flu on your health, or your ability to care for the people around you, it’s well worth the minor discomfort of an injection to lessen your risk of infection this winter.
Protection.
We’re getting more and more familiar with ways we can protect ourselves from air and droplet-borne viruses. As winter tightens its grip, it’s even more important that we wash our hands regularly. If you need to be out in shared spaces like shops, buses and trains or pubs and restaurants, carry hand sanitiser with you and use it regularly, while trying to discipline yourself not to touch your face while you’re out and about. This doesn’t just lower the risk that you’ll catch flu – it also makes it less likely you’ll pass the virus around and get other people sick!
Lots of us are now wearing masks when we’re in shared indoor spaces or using public transport, which will help to lower the risk of flu this season. Most fabric masks sold in shops and chemists – or made at home – help to catch the droplets from your mouth and nose when you speak and breath but they don’t do much to stop droplets from other people affecting you! Specialist masks from retailers like CovaFlu also filter the incoming air, creating a barrier to stop viruses reaching your mouth and nose, and lowering the risk of flu infection. It’s well worth the investment if you’re concerned about the risk of you catching flu.
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