How to avoid illness as COVID-19 and the flu surge
LA TimesCommuters with and without face masks walk through Union Station in Los Angeles on Tuesday. “Getting that updated bivalent vaccine is the single most important thing you can do to make sure immunity is up to date and that you can fight the virus that’s out there,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator. “Because any case of influenza can end up being severe, especially when it spreads to people who are at high risk — and this includes older adults and young children — we do ask that you know that it’s not too late to get your seasonal flu shot,” Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said. “Wearing a mask in indoor public places, among other safety measures, effectively slows the spread of respiratory viruses that make children and the elderly very sick,” according to the California Department of Public Health. Sleep, exercise and manage stress As Gonzales noted, “During the holiday period … we tend to get really busy with work, and with this surge, we have a lot of inactivity and stress.” “And what we know from studies of medical students before finals, and with marathon runners, is that stress —whether it’s mental stress or physical stress — does increase your risk of getting infected with respiratory viruses.