How to Protect Against Increased Viral Spread in Winter
2025-01-28
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1Influenza, or the flu, COVID-19, norovirus and the common cold easily spread throughout the winter season.
2Knowing what these infections are and how they spread can help us avoid them.
3The Associated Press has listed some things anyone can do to keep healthy and to know more about these infections:
4Some signs, or symptoms, of a cold, the flu, COVID-19 or norovirus are similar.
5This can make it hard to know what is making us sick.
6However, some symptoms are unmistakable.
7Norovirus spreads through polluted food, water and surfaces, including the skin.
8The virus causes vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain.
9The sickness can last for about one to three days.
10The common cold can be caused by several different kinds of viruses and can include several symptoms.
11These include a runny nose, congestion, cough, sneezing, and pain in the throat, head and other parts of the body.
12It can also cause higher than normal body temperature, or a fever.
13The common cold usually lasts less than a week.
14The flu is caused by influenza viruses that are always changing.
15Infection leads to fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headaches and feeling tired.
16Flu symptoms usually hit more quickly than cold symptoms.
17They can last from a few days to two weeks.
18COVID-19 can cause fever, chills, cough, congestion, tiredness and throat and head pain.
19Other signs of COVID are the loss of smell or taste, difficulty breathing, nausea, or vomiting.
20The sickness can last for several days.
21The respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, can make people sick for one or two weeks.
22The signs include runny nose, congestion, coughing, sneezing, breathing problems, fever, and a loss of appetite.
23So how can we avoid infections? Experts say people should wash their hands carefully and often with a cleanser such as soap.
24Clean hands are very important to reducing the spread of norovirus, colds, flu and COVID-19.
25The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says this is especially true after using the bathroom, eating or preparing food.
26Make sure you take enough time to wash your hands.
27It should take at least 20 seconds to complete the job.
28If you do not have soap and water available, cleansers called hand sanitizers are a good substitute.
29The sanitizer must be at least 60 percent alcohol to be effective against most of these viruses.
30An exception is norovirus which requires a stronger sanitizer.
31To avoid norovirus, you must immediately clean surfaces that have come in contact with infected food or bodily fluids.
32The CDC advises disinfecting things with a chlorine bleach solution or one of the products listed on the Environmental Protection Agency website.
33Do not forget to wash any clothing that has come in contact with vomit or other bodily waste.
34Use hot water and soap.
35Then, wash your hands again.
36With colds and flu, it is best to repeatedly clean surfaces that are touched or used often.
37These include doorknobs, light switches, kitchen workspaces, children's playthings, cellphones and other objects around the home.
38Use household cleaning products that contain soap or detergent and follow up with a sanitizer.
39The CDC has more advice on how to clean.
40COVID-19 spreads through the air in small drops and particles.
41The CDC says there is low risk of getting the virus from surfaces.
42Viruses can spread through talking, coughing and sneezing, so cover your mouth with a tissue when you sneeze or cough.
43Then, wash your hands.
44Do not touch your face.
45If you have viruses on your unwashed hands and touch your face, eyes or nose, they can get into your body.
46Your likelihood of getting sick will increase.
47You might consider a vaccine if one is available.
48Updated COVID-19 vaccines are available.
49Yearly flu shots for people 6 months and older are also available.
50For adults 60 and older or people who are pregnant, you might want to get the RSV vaccine.
51There is no vaccine for norovirus or the common cold.
52Your immune system may not work as well if you are lacking enough sleep, water or are experiencing high levels of tension. Rest. Sleep. And drink enough water.
53If you do get sick, you can take a test to find out if you have COVID-19 or influenza.
54It is important to know if you have a virus that could be treated with available medicines.
55The drug Paxlovid treats COVID-19. Tamiflu is used to treat flu.
56Above all, if you have symptoms of any of these sicknesses, stay at home and away from other people.
57This will help stop the spread of viruses.
58To treat a cold, flu or COVID-19, rest and drink fluids.
59You can take pain medicine to lower a fever or to ease pain.
60Humidifier machines, which increase the amount of water in the air, can also help ease symptoms.
61There is no medication for norovirus.
62You need to replace fluids lost because of the sickness.
63Drink as much water and other liquids as possible.
64Seek medical help if you notice you have a dry mouth and throat, are not expelling liquid waste easily, or feel dizzy when standing.
65I'm Caty Weaver. And I'm Mario Ritter Jr.
1Influenza, or the flu, COVID-19, norovirus and the common cold easily spread throughout the winter season. 2Knowing what these infections are and how they spread can help us avoid them. The Associated Press has listed some things anyone can do to keep healthy and to know more about these infections: 3Cold, flu, or COVID? 4Some signs, or symptoms, of a cold, the flu, COVID-19 or norovirus are similar. This can make it hard to know what is making us sick. 5However, some symptoms are unmistakable. 6Norovirus spreads through polluted food, water and surfaces, including the skin. The virus causes vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain. The sickness can last for about one to three days. 7The common cold can be caused by several different kinds of viruses and can include several symptoms. These include a runny nose, congestion, cough, sneezing, and pain in the throat, head and other parts of the body. It can also cause higher than normal body temperature, or a fever. The common cold usually lasts less than a week. 8The flu is caused by influenza viruses that are always changing. Infection leads to fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headaches and feeling tired. Flu symptoms usually hit more quickly than cold symptoms. They can last from a few days to two weeks. 9COVID-19 can cause fever, chills, cough, congestion, tiredness and throat and head pain. Other signs of COVID are the loss of smell or taste, difficulty breathing, nausea, or vomiting. The sickness can last for several days. 10The respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, can make people sick for one or two weeks. The signs include runny nose, congestion, coughing, sneezing, breathing problems, fever, and a loss of appetite. 11Wash your hands 12So how can we avoid infections? Experts say people should wash their hands carefully and often with a cleanser such as soap. Clean hands are very important to reducing the spread of norovirus, colds, flu and COVID-19. 13The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says this is especially true after using the bathroom, eating or preparing food. 14Make sure you take enough time to wash your hands. It should take at least 20 seconds to complete the job. 15If you do not have soap and water available, cleansers called hand sanitizers are a good substitute. The sanitizer must be at least 60 percent alcohol to be effective against most of these viruses. An exception is norovirus which requires a stronger sanitizer. 16Cleaning surfaces can remove viruses 17To avoid norovirus, you must immediately clean surfaces that have come in contact with infected food or bodily fluids. The CDC advises disinfecting things with a chlorine bleach solution or one of the products listed on the Environmental Protection Agency website. 18Do not forget to wash any clothing that has come in contact with vomit or other bodily waste. Use hot water and soap. Then, wash your hands again. 19With colds and flu, it is best to repeatedly clean surfaces that are touched or used often. These include doorknobs, light switches, kitchen workspaces, children's playthings, cellphones and other objects around the home. 20Use household cleaning products that contain soap or detergent and follow up with a sanitizer. The CDC has more advice on how to clean. 21COVID-19 spreads through the air in small drops and particles. The CDC says there is low risk of getting the virus from surfaces. 22Keeping your hands off your face can keep viruses out 23Viruses can spread through talking, coughing and sneezing, so cover your mouth with a tissue when you sneeze or cough. Then, wash your hands. 24Do not touch your face. If you have viruses on your unwashed hands and touch your face, eyes or nose, they can get into your body. Your likelihood of getting sick will increase. 25Consider a vaccine (if there is one) 26You might consider a vaccine if one is available. 27Updated COVID-19 vaccines are available. Yearly flu shots for people 6 months and older are also available. For adults 60 and older or people who are pregnant, you might want to get the RSV vaccine. 28There is no vaccine for norovirus or the common cold. 29Another way to keep your defenses against viruses up: Rest 30Your immune system may not work as well if you are lacking enough sleep, water or are experiencing high levels of tension. Rest. Sleep. And drink enough water. 31Stay at home 32If you do get sick, you can take a test to find out if you have COVID-19 or influenza. It is important to know if you have a virus that could be treated with available medicines. The drug Paxlovid treats COVID-19. Tamiflu is used to treat flu. 33Above all, if you have symptoms of any of these sicknesses, stay at home and away from other people. This will help stop the spread of viruses. 34To treat a cold, flu or COVID-19, rest and drink fluids. You can take pain medicine to lower a fever or to ease pain. Humidifier machines, which increase the amount of water in the air, can also help ease symptoms. 35There is no medication for norovirus. You need to replace fluids lost because of the sickness. Drink as much water and other liquids as possible. Seek medical help if you notice you have a dry mouth and throat, are not expelling liquid waste easily, or feel dizzy when standing. 36I'm Caty Weaver. And I'm Mario Ritter Jr. 37The Associated Press produced this report. Caty Weaver adapted it for VOA Learning English. 38_____________________________________________________ 39Words in This Story 40vomiting -n. expelling what is inside your stomach through your mouth 41diarrhea -n. a sickness that can cause an infected person to pass waste and fluid often 42congestion -n. blockage in the area of the nose caused by fluid 43cough -n. involuntarily expelling air through the throat in a quick action 44sneezing -n. suddenly expelling air through the nose and throat 45ache -n. physical and lasting pain in a part of the body 46chill -n. a feeling of being cold with involuntary shaking 47appetite -n. the desire to eat food