{"id":127390,"date":"2024-12-23T15:04:54","date_gmt":"2024-12-23T20:04:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/cchl\/?p=127390"},"modified":"2024-12-23T16:18:44","modified_gmt":"2024-12-23T21:18:44","slug":"public-health-professor-shares-tips-to-prevent-cold-flu-rsv-and-covid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/cchl\/2024\/12\/23\/public-health-professor-shares-tips-to-prevent-cold-flu-rsv-and-covid\/","title":{"rendered":"Public Health Professor Shares Tips to Prevent Cold, Flu, RSV and COVID"},"content":{"rendered":"

As colder temperatures push people indoors for celebrations with friends, family and colleagues, the risk of respiratory illnesses\u2014like the common cold, flu, COVID-19, RSV and even walking pneumonia\u2014rises significantly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Public Health Professor Stephanie Silvera<\/a>, an epidemiologist at Montclair State University, explains how to stay healthy, recognize symptoms, and reduce your chances of getting sick this winter.<\/span><\/p>\n

Vaccines Help Reduce Severe Illness<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s easier to get vaccinated these days, as vaccines are widely available. However, while vaccines can reduce the risk of getting infected, \u201cit’s not what they’re designed to do; their main purpose is to reduce the risk of severe illness. Severe illness is defined as sickness that requires hospitalization. \u201cYou can get COVID and feel absolutely awful and be in bed for days, but if you’re not in a hospital, that’s not a severe illness.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Respiratory Illnesses Likely to Rise<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Vaccine rates jumped during the COVID pandemic, resulting in far fewer cases of the flu, but that has since changed. Slightly more than half of New Jerseyans 6 months and older have received<\/span> flu vaccines<\/a><\/strong>, according to the Center for Disease Control, down from previous years. Even fewer people are receiving a COVID booster,<\/span> less than 1% of the state\u2019s population<\/a><\/strong>, according to USA Facts.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBoth flu and COVID booster rates are down,\u201d Silvera says. \u201cThankfully right now, hospitalization rates are still low, but they will tick up after the holidays. It’s just a pattern we see. We need to encourage people at greater risk for severe illness to get vaccinated.\u201d New Jersey is among 28 states where hospitalizations are expected to increase, as COVID-19 infections are \u201c<\/span>growing or likely growing<\/a><\/strong>,\u201d according to the CDC.<\/span><\/p>\n

For older adults and people who have increased risk, however, things can be more serious. In addition, there\u2019s been an uptick this year in the cases of walking pneumonia, particularly among young people, Silvera says. \u201cI would like to see more people get vaccinated because you don’t know which one is going to get you.\u201d This is especially important for those at increased risk for severe illness (people 60 years or older, who have asthma, diabetes, are undergoing cancer treatment, and smokers, for example) or for those who live with someone who is.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n