Stop the Spread of Viruses!

While you can get sick at any time of the year, winters in general have many hard-hitting viruses – including the common cold but also norovirus and influenza – busily circulating through schools, businesses, and homes.

With many of us suffering from sneezing, coughing, and just feeling lousy, I’d like to share some tips to help stop the spread of viruses and stay healthy.

Colds

Colds are more common in the winter and spring, but it is possible to get a cold any time of the year. Some symptoms of a cold usually include a runny nose, coughing, sneezing, sore throat, and watery eyes. Most people will recover from a cold within about 7-10 days.

Influenza

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) tracks influenza activity each year and flu activity is on the increase. Most healthy adults may be able to infect other people beginning 1 day before their symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick. Symptoms of the flu may include a fever or feeling feverish/chills, cough, sore throat, muscle or body aches, and fatigue.

Norovirus

Norovirus is a very contagious virus that can cause stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. Norovirus can be transmitted by an infected person, through contaminated food or water, or by touching contaminated surfaces. You are most contagious when you are sick with norovirus illness and during the first few days after you recover from norovirus illness.

Your best defense to avoid the spread of germs is to wash your hands, correctly and often. Waterless, alcohol-based hand sanitizers (e.g., Purell) are as good as soap and water for most purposes as long as hands are not visibly soiled and as long as someone doesn’t have diarrhea. Several of the common germs that cause diarrhea are not as effectively inactivated by alcohol as they are by soap.

Here are some more tips:

• Antibacterial soap is not necessary except in certain health care settings. Ordinary soap works very well to remove and inactivate germs as long as you take enough time and make sure to touch every surface of your hands. Here’s an article from the Atrius Health blog with tips for proper handwashing that include washing your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds. Remember to turn off the bathroom faucet with a disposable paper towel so you don’t re-contaminate your hands.
• The germs that you run into most commonly are transmitted by direct physical contact and/or close face-to-face contact (within 3 feet or so). It is best to stay at least 3 feet away from anyone who is sick.
• Remember to cough or sneeze into the crook of your elbow to avoid spreading germs.
• Some germs can also be transmitted by surfaces (high touch areas like light switches and doorknobs). Any over-the-counter disinfectant wipe is fine to use to clean surfaces.

If you experience symptoms such as a high fever, severe vomiting and/or diarrhea, or your symptoms don’t get better within several days, you should contact your doctor’s office.

I hope these tips help you and those around you stay healthy!

About Dr. Myfanwy Callahan, MPH

Dr. Myfanwy Callahan, MPH, is an internist at Harvard Vanguard’s Medford practice and is board certified in internal medicine. She received her medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland. She completed her residency and internship at Boston Medical Center. She has a clinical interest in women’s health issues. Dr. Callahan is currently welcoming new patients. For more information about becoming a patient, please call 1-800-249-1767.

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