Respiratory disease season has begun: here’s what you can do to prevent the spread

With the onset of autumn, the season of respiratory diseases has also begun. During this time we see an increase in viruses such as the flu virus, the RS virus, and the coronavirus. These infections can cause mild symptoms such as coughing and sneezing, but sometimes they also lead to more serious illnesses such as pneumonia. This is reported by the RIVM.

The most common symptoms are cough, sore throat, sneezing and runny nose. Some people may also experience fever, fatigue, or muscle aches.

Who is more at risk?

Although most people recover within a few days, certain groups are at increased risk of serious complications. For example, the RS virus is dangerous for young children, while the elderly and people with chronic diseases are more vulnerable to the flu and corona. There was also a surprising number of pneumonia in the past year, including young people and children. This was often caused by the bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

Advice to prevent spread

Do you have complaints? You can prevent yourself from infecting others with a few simple measures: stay home if you are sick, work from home if possible in case of mild complaints, cough or sneeze into your elbow and keep your distance from others. When you are sick, try to protect vulnerable people by avoiding contact with them. If contact with a risk group is unavoidable because you are an informal carer, for example, wear a face mask.
Good hygiene is also essential: wash your hands regularly and make sure your home is well ventilated.

Vaccines

Vaccines are available against some causes of respiratory diseases, such as the flu shot and the corona virus. These vaccines mostly protect against serious illness. For the elderly and vulnerable groups, vaccination against pneumococcal no whooping cough also adds to the protection in the winter months.
By following this advice, you will help limit the spread of respiratory diseases and protect vulnerable people.

By: National Health Care Guidelines / Johanne Levinsky