HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF
As a pediatrician, Dr. Timothy Horton has taken one sick day in 10 years of his office-based pediatric practice. On a daily basis, he is exposed to dozens of strains of colds, germs and viruses but manages to keep himself healthy through a few simple tips. (Horton has a practice in Vidalia and also works in telemedicine with MedZed (www.mymedzed.com.)
Here are some of Horton’s top tips for avoiding the dreaded cold and flu season:
It's all about the basics. Sleep, diet and personal hygiene are the foundation of your ability to fight off diseases since changes in these affect the immune system. Life will throw unexpected curveballs that will knock these things off balance and unfortunately lead to a higher risk of getting sick.
Get enough sleep. Sleep is the body's chance to heal and reset. It is perhaps the most important part of disease prevention, and teaching children how to sleep well and modeling good sleep behaviors might be the best gift parents can give them. Horton suggests eight hours of uninterrupted sleep each night, but statistically, that amount will work for only 85 percent of people. Children, depending on their age, will need more sleep and in different patterns such as napping during the day. Focus on these sleeping patterns and not a specific number of hours for shut-eye.
You are what you eat. Actually, your immune system is made up exclusively of what you eat. Proteins, micronutrients, amino acids, co-enzymes, vitamins and minerals all come from your diet and are the building blocks of your immune system. Arranging meals with fruits and vegetables of three different colors and changing the colors regularly will ensure that you get all the necessary vitamins and minerals needed.
Wash your hands frequently. Nothing is more protective against germs than hand washing, so wash them properly and frequently. Germs are everywhere — in the air we breathe, on the surfaces we touch and on the people we love, but we can't survive without them. Try washing your and your child's hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds to do the trick. (It's the same amount of time as singing "Happy Birthday" or saying the ABCs three times.)
Get your flu shot. There are so few viruses that allow for preventative measures to be taken, so it is critical that parents take action on the ones you can. The vaccines offered by your pediatrician and local pharmacies are safe and effective. Even though recent reports have questioned the effectiveness of this year's flu shot, getting the shot is still the best way to avoid severe symptoms, to lower contagiousness and to prevent further complications.
The flu vaccine may not be very effective this winter.
The dominant flu strain this year — H3N2 — has mutated, and only about half of the cases match the vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The flu shots still protect as well as they always do against some strains, including this circulating strain when it has not mutated.
Flu viruses are constantly changing and they mutate all the time — from one season to the next or they can even change within the course of the same season. This kind of gradual change is called “drifting.”
The CDC said flu shots may still offer some protection against drifted viruses, which could help lessen the severity of the symptoms and reduce the risk of complications, such as hospitalization and death. Flu shots also will still protect against flu strains that have not mutated, such as the influenza A (H1N1) virus and the B viruses contained in the vaccine.
Since experts must pick which viruses to include in the vaccine several months in advance to produce and deliver the vaccine for the upcoming flu season, there’s always this risk that the circulating viruses will deviate from the ones used for the vaccine. There’s not enough time to change the vaccine for this flu season.
In past years, H3N2 strains have tended to be more severe, sending more people to the hospital than other strains — and causing more deaths, especially among the elderly, children and people with weakened immune systems.
The flu usually takes the highest toll on the very young and the very old.
Depending on the season, the flu claims the lives of anywhere between 3,000 and 49,000 people a year in the United States.
Even when some circulating viruses are different from the vaccine viruses, the CDC continues to strongly recommend vaccination against the flu. While the vaccine may be less effective against drifted viruses, it can still protect many people and prevent flu-related complications. If we end up facing a nasty flu season, getting a vaccine that provides even partial protection may be more important than ever, according to the CDC.
In Georgia, there have been five flu-related deaths this year since Oct. 1. All of the deaths involved older adults — one was 64, with the remaining people at least 65. All five people also had existing medical conditions.
It’s too early to know just how bad the flu season will be this year, according to Nancy Nydam, a spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Public Health. Meanwhile, influenza surveillance indicates the flu is currently widespread throughout the state. Puerto Rico, Alaska, Maryland, Florida, North Carolina and Louisiana are also experiencing widespread cases, with several other states reporting regional and sporadic cases.
The CDC is also urging people with flulike symptoms to seek treatment as soon as possible. Tamiflu and Relenza, a class of drugs called neuraminidase inhibitors, are designed to block replication of the flu virus in the body.
They work best when taken within a day or two of getting sick, and experts say these antiviral medications seem to be particularly effective with this year’s virus circulating.
While seasonal flu outbreaks can happen as early as October, most of the time flu activity peaks between December and February, and a flu season can last as long as May.
Dr. Dan Jernigan, deputy director of the CDC’s Influenza Division, said while antiviral medications such as Tamiflu are not a substitute for vaccination, they are an important second line of defense to treat flu illness. Jernigan said they are especially important for people at high risk of serious flu complications and for those very sick with the flu.
“During seasons when we see drifted flu viruses causing illness, antivirals become even more important because the vaccine may not work as well,” Jernigan said in an email. “We are doing additional outreach this season to remind people about the antiviral drugs and their benefits.”
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