Keeping your tissues handy might be a wise choice for students at Sinclair Community College.
As the temperature outside drops, your chance of catching the flu rises.
According to Joseph Giardullo, Nursing professor at Sinclair, the flu season typically starts at the end of October and runs til the early spring months of March and April.
“Circulation of the air causes viruses to spread,” Giardullo said.
He said the flu season coincides with when we start using heaters in our houses.
Giardullo said Viruses are more common during the winter because people are inside for longer periods of time, and to be aware of things other people are touching; common things include keyboards, door handles, salad bar utensils and elevator buttons.
“Everyone knows they have to wash their hands, the key is how long,” Giardullo said, adding that people don’t wash their hands long enough.
“Sing happy birthday twice and you’ve washed your hands enough.”
He said the average person touches their face multiple times a day, spreading germs from your hands into your body through your mouth, nose or eyes, making you more susceptible to the virus.
Besides washing hands and being aware of virus-friendly surfaces, Giardullo said that the flu shot is something he would recommend. The flu shot is very helpful because it stimulates the immune system which increases immunity against viruses, he said. “The flu shot is [based off of] the most popular virus identified from the year previous. The flu shot you would get next year would be the most popular virus identified this year,” he said.
Giardullo said this would be beneficial to younger and older people, as well as those who have medical conditions.
“Your body can only fight off one battle at a time,” he said.
Giardullo said there are no medications to kill a virus, so those who are around more people are more susceptible. The flu shot may be a valid investment for people who work in public jobs.
According to a nurse at Wright State Physicians, the flu shots are offered up until early spring.
“The better general health [someone has], the more resistance they have to the flu,” Giardullo said.
Make sure to eat, be active, drink plenty of fluids and sleep. All these factors determine someone’s health, he said.
“The best thing you can do is limit close proximity as much as you can,” Giardullo said.
According to the Public Health- Dayton and Montgomery website, the weekly flu activity chart for Montgomery County is at “high level.”
For more information on vaccine locations and schedules, or to monitor activity in the Dayton area, visit phdmc.org/flu.