How does the flu spread and how do you protect yourself? Infectious disease experts explain
Plus, the best ways to keep those droplets and particles from infecting you.
Plus, the best ways to keep those droplets and particles from infecting you.
Plus, the best ways to keep those droplets and particles from infecting you.
By now, you바카라 게임 웹사이트ve probably memorized all the possible ways you can get COVID-19. So if you바카라 게임 웹사이트re feeling like a bit of an armchair infectious disease expert, you might be wondering how other illnesses in your life spread, like the flu.
Sure, you바카라 게임 웹사이트ve known practically your whole life that good hand hygiene and doing your best to steer clear of people who are sick is a good way to lower your . But how does the flu really spread? Is the flu airborne or not? Here바카라 게임 웹사이트s what you need to know.
What is the flu, again?
The flu is a contagious respiratory illness called by influenza viruses, according to the . There are two main types of the flu 바카라 게임 웹사이트 influenza A and B 바카라 게임 웹사이트 and they cause seasonal flu epidemics each year.
The flu can cause mild to severe illness, and it can cause people to be hospitalized and even die from the virus.
OK, so how does the flu spread?
The flu mainly spreads from person to person, and the says that infected people can spread the virus to people up to six feet away. The flu usually spreads through respiratory droplets that emerge when infected people cough, sneeze or talk.
Those droplets can then land in the of people who are nearby or be inhaled into the lungs and make them sick. Less commonly, people can get the flu from touching an infected surface or object and then touching their own mouth, nose, or eyes, the CDC says.
Is the flu virus airborne?
It can be, but it바카라 게임 웹사이트s not the primary way the flu is transmitted. An is a small particle that can remain suspended in the air for a certain period of time. Respiratory droplets are heavier and therefore fall to the ground pretty quickly after they바카라 게임 웹사이트re expelled from a person, said Richard Watkins, M.D., an infectious disease physician and professor of internal medicine at the Northeast Ohio Medical University.
The CDC says that the flu is largely spread through respiratory droplets. However, it also says can occur, but not over long distances, and not as commonly as via the droplets.
바카라 게임 웹사이트The flu, like many respiratory viruses, has some components of airborne spread and some components of respiratory droplets spread,바카라 게임 웹사이트 explained infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. 바카라 게임 웹사이트It is really a continuum.바카라 게임 웹사이트
There are some situations where the flu is more likely to generate aerosols and become airborne, like when a person is intubated in a hospital, Adalja said. But he stresses that this is different from a highly contagious airborne virus , which is primarily spread through the air.
William Schaffner, M.D., an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, agrees. 바카라 게임 웹사이트The data would indicate this only happens under certain circumstances,바카라 게임 웹사이트 he said. 바카라 게임 웹사이트The flu is spread overwhelmingly through close personal contact.바카라 게임 웹사이트
However, the flu may be more likely to hover in the air in the winter, when the air is drier, Schaffner points out. 바카라 게임 웹사이트That little bit of fluid that covers the particles evaporates and they바카라 게임 웹사이트re not as heavy,바카라 게임 웹사이트 he said. 바카라 게임 웹사이트That바카라 게임 웹사이트s one of the reasons it바카라 게임 웹사이트s thought that influenza is more common in the winter 바카라 게임 웹사이트 the air is drier then.바카라 게임 웹사이트
Will COVID-19 prevention measures protect people from the flu, too?
Definitely. 바카라 게임 웹사이트Mask wearing, social distancing, and hand washing are effective prevention methods for flu avoidance,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Watkins said. 바카라 게임 웹사이트Which is why last year we saw a of flu cases.바카라 게임 웹사이트
바카라 게임 웹사이트Last season, we had almost no flu and all of us were staying home, washing our hands, and wearing masks,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Schaffner said. 바카라 게임 웹사이트It all had a profound effect on reducing the influenza virus.바카라 게임 웹사이트
However, note that the COVID-19 vaccine will not protect you against the flu.
What else can you do to stop the spread of the flu?
Getting vaccinated is a must, Adalja said. The flu vaccine has been shown to reduce flu-related illnesses and the risk of complications that can lead to hospitalization and death, the points out.
Some other tips from the CDC:
- Stay away from people who are sick
- Cover your coughs and sneezes
- Wash your hands often
If you바카라 게임 웹사이트re high risk for flu complications, Schaffner recommends doing your best to practice social distancing when influenza is circulating in your community. 바카라 게임 웹사이트Maybe rent a movie instead of going to a movie,바카라 게임 웹사이트 he said.
