Staying Safe During Respiratory Season

What do we mean by “respiratory season”?

Respiratory season covers a range of illnesses, most notable influenza (flu), COVID-19 and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Boone Health’s Infection Prevention Department monitors case numbers for these illnesses closely. This helps determine if visitor restrictions are needed to protect Boone Health’s patients.

When is respiratory season?

Respiratory season varies from year to year and doesn’t follow a fixed calendar date range. It begins when illness rates rise above the normal level, and usually peaks between October and March – although some years it can start earlier or end later.

Influenza is the most commonly reported infectious disease during this season and is often used as the marker to signal its start. Hospitals rely on local trends and state-level data to decide when to officially announce the beginning of respiratory season and when to encourage vaccination for employees and patients.

Will this be a bad flu year?

The only thing you can predict about the flu is that it’s unpredictable. Flu viruses can mutate rapidly in ways that can make it easier for them to spread. One notable example was H1N1, which emerged in Spring 2009 and caused a pandemic that lasted through August 2010. What we do know, is that each year, influenza causes between 120,000-710,000 hospitalizations and 6,300-52,000 deaths in the United States. Hospitals prepare each year to meet the increased need for inpatient care during respiratory season in the communities we serve.

Who should take precautions during respiratory season?

While everyone can take steps to prevent the spread of respiratory illness, there are several groups who are the most vulnerable during respiratory season.

• Infants and young children are vulnerable due to their underdeveloped immune systems. While newborns are too young for most vaccines, parents and adult caregivers can get vaccines to reduce their risk of bringing a respiratory illness home.

• Older adults, especially those 65 and over, are at an increased risk for severe illness due to their decreased immune response. For these individuals, a high-dose flu vaccine is available. Additional respiratory illness vaccines may be recommended depending on a patient’s medical history.

• Immunocompromised individuals, including people on medications that suppress immune function are also at an increased risk for severe outcomes. Additional respiratory illness vaccines may be recommended depending on a patient’s medical history.

Everyone should have a conversation with their healthcare provider about what vaccines are recommended to help protect them during respiratory season.

While vaccines may not always prevent infection, they reduce the risk of severe illness, helping to lower the risk of hospitalization and death.

How can you keep yourself and your family safe during flu season?

Get vaccinatedInfluenza, RSV, COVID-19, pertussis and pneumococcal vaccines are available. Talk with your provider about vaccine recommendations for your specific medical history.

Stay home if you’re sickIf you have respiratory symptoms – cough, sore throat, runny nose, fever.

Practice good hand hygiene Wash hands regularly and avoid touching your face.

Cough and sneeze properly Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue, then throw away the tissue and wash your hands. If you don’t have a tissue, cover your nose and mouth with your elbow, not your hands.

Wear a mask when visiting the doctor or around vulnerable individuals if you’re experiencing symptoms.

Limit contact with high-risk individuals if you’re sick or have been exposed to someone who is sick.

Not every cough or fever needs an ER visit, but some symptoms require emergency care: experiencing severe shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, blue lips or face, a high fever that isn’t responding to fever-reducing medication, worsening of chronic conditions like COPD and asthma, and heart-related symptoms –chest pain, tightness when breathing, irregular heartbeat or feeling faint.

Boone Health’s Convenient Care is also an option for mild to moderate symptoms such as cough, sore throat, low-grade fever or flu and COVID-19 symptoms without troubled breathing.

If you feel like something is seriously wrong, trust your instincts, especially with breathing or chest symptoms. It’s always better to be safe and get checked.

By Boone Health Infection Prevention