Health Tips: Best ways to stay healthy during virus outbreaks

One of the only positive things about the recent COVID-19 crisis is the fact that many people are learning about new ways to cope with viral outbreaks of all kinds, from COVID to the seasonal flu. In the U.S., influenza takes about 40,000 lives every year, and that’s in spite of the fact that there is a vaccine!

Plus, what experts call ILIs, which stands for “influenza-like-illnesses,” affect people of all ages, unlike COVID-19’s key targets of elderly and medically compromised adults. The flu strikes young and old, healthy and ill, and often morphs in such a way that “flu shots” are ineffective.

What are the best ways to stay safe during all kinds of viral outbreaks? Medical authorities offer pertinent suggestions that can give you a fighting chance against COVID and all other viruses that strike.

Why Are Viruses So Dangerous?

The primary reason that ILIs and COVID are such dangers to vast numbers of people is because they are transmitted through the air and by casual contact with other people. All you need to do is cough, sneeze, touch, brush against, or be in the presence of someone who is infected in order to become sick yourself.

Likewise, even if you show no symptoms of ILIs or COVID, you can transmit it to someone else just by shaking their hand, being too close to them, or drinking out of the same cup. Even an otherwise innocuous act like touching a doorknob can transport a virus to a human recipient. And unlike COVID, the flu strikes young children quite often.

The most important information we can gather from the experts is two-fold: how to avoid becoming ill from a virus, and finding out how not to transmit a virus to someone else. Keep in mind that there is no 100 percent guaranteed way to avoid getting sick or infecting another person, but you can greatly reduce the chances by taking various precautions.

Below are some of the most effective ways, according to medical experts, for people to minimize their chances of getting ill and causing others to become ill. Additionally, many of the suggestions can help you recover more quickly even if you do happen to contract a viral infection.

Ways To Avoid Transmitting or Getting a Virus

There are three things you want to do when it comes to viral infections: prevent them, avoid transmitting them, and get proper treatment if you become ill. The following suggestions are geared toward those aims:

Use soap and warm water to wash your hands several times per day, primarily after you come into physical contact with things like doorknobs, phones, elevator doors, car handles, etc.

When you don’t have access to soap and warm water, consider using alcohol-based sanitizer.

After sneezing or coughing, dispose of the tissue as soon as possible and wash your hands. When sneezing or coughing, always cover your mouth and nose with either a tissue or the crook of your arm.

Try to break the habit of touching your mouth, ears, eyes, and face throughout the day.

Don’t do “high-fives” or shake hands with others. Instead, wave or do a quick “fist bump” if there are no “social distancing” guidelines in effect. If you must touch a keypad, use your covered or gloved hand, or bare knuckles, remembering to wash up afterward.

Always avoid coming in close contact with anyone who is infected with a virus. Likewise, if you are ill, remain at home so you can take care of yourself and recover properly.

Use watered-down bleach, spray disinfectant, alcohol sanitizer, soapy water, or another cleanser to sanitize areas around your home that you frequently touch. Remember that many viruses can live on hard and soft surfaces for up to several hours. That’s why it’s important to disinfect and sanitize commonly touched areas like kitchen counters, door handles, light switches, refrigerator doors, appliance knobs, and toilet seats.

Get plenty of rest and eat balanced, nutritious meals in order to maintain a strong immune system. It also helps to get a moderate amount of exercise.

While COVID-19 in still a threat, avoid using public transportation, especially airplanes.

If you suspect that you have the flu or COVID-19, contact your doctor as soon as possible and schedule either an in-person or tele-health appointment. If your symptoms are not life-threatening, your doctor will likely recommend that your remain in your home and drink enough fluids to help the infection move through your system. In most cases, you’ll be able to see marked improvement in your condition within a week of onset, provided you do what your doctor advises.

If your symptoms do not clear up within a week or so, contact your doctor and explain the situation in detail. If you aren’t well enough to make the call, have a friend or relative do the task for you. It’s possible that you might need to be hospitalized, but your doctor could prescribe medication, tell you to wait a few more days and call back with a report, or suggest some other strategy, depending on your medical history and condition.

Sign up for a personalized meal delivery service while there are “lock-down” orders in effect. This is a good way to avoid going to a crowded grocery store and coming into contact with large groups of people.

Practicing Safe, Healthy Eating Habits

Choosing to order healthy family meals and well-rounded, nutrition based meals from a company like California Chef is a smart way to stay healthy during a quarantine period. Long known as the best meal delivery service in Los Angeles, California Chef offers thousands of combinations of foods prepared with healthy eating in mind.

In addition to its family meal delivery service, the company has many specialized menus, including toddler meal delivery to satisfy the taste buds and nutritional requirements of youngsters, diet meal delivery for adults who are watching their calories, and even organic toddler meal delivery, among other selections geared for very specific appetites.

In fact, health management meal delivery services are one of the best ways to stay healthy and safe during a serious viral outbreak.

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