As someone who despises being sick, I am a huge advocate for taking necessary precautions when fall and winter roll around. As a college student, almost everyone I know gets at least a little bit sick when coming back to school. That being said, as cooler weather hits, the sickness tends to linger and worsen. There are 3 major viruses that we need to watch out for this season in order to stay as healthy as possible. Those viruses are respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), COVID-19, and the flu. A nonprofit health policy research group, KFF, stated that 40% of U.S. households were hit with at least one of these viruses. Aside from those big 3 viruses, there are others that we need to watch out for as well. NPR wrote an article where an epidemiologist and assistant professor at Emory University named Marlene Wolfe says we need to be on the lookout to avoid rhinoviruses, parainfluenzas, enterovirus D68, and human metapneumonia virus. All of these viruses have similar symptoms that we’re all familiar with such as runny nose, coughing, sore throat, sneezing, post-nasal drip, and more. I personally have a very busy fall and winter season, and I want to stay as healthy as possible this year so I can do everything I need to do. A few things that I’m making sure to do to keep myself and others healthy are thoroughly washing my hands, making sure to always cover my cough, drinking plenty of fluids, and drinking warm tea in the mornings (this is a personal preference but I feel like it helps!). It’s important for us all to be cautious and make sure we’re keeping ourselves and those around us healthy this season!
