Busting common misconceptions about ways to prevent the flu : NPR
Flu cases have started to decline, according to the CDC, but flu season is not over yet. We’re busting some common myths about how to avoid catching the virus.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Okay, Steve. I’m not trying to get into your business, but has anyone in your house caught this terrible flu that’s been going around?
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Oh yeah. There were a few people there. Not me yet.
MARTIN: Oh, my God. Well, you’re in luck and you’re not alone. The CDC has recorded at least 18 million flu cases and hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations.
INSKEEP: Wow.
MARTIN: And even though reported cases have started to decline, flu season is not over.
INSKEEP: So we asked a professor of infectious diseases what works and what doesn’t when trying to avoid the flu. Dr. William Schaffner teaches at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and says a common myth leaves him cold.
WILLIAM SCHAFFNER: It’s uncomfortable to go out in the cold with wet hair, but it really won’t predispose you to catching the flu. These flu viruses and cold viruses are indeed viruses. You have to catch them from someone else.
MARTIN: And that old saw, feeding a cold, starving a fever? No.
SCHAFFNER: It’s an old saying, but the body needs both hydration and energy to fight off an infection. And I place particular emphasis on hydration. Keep your fluids up no matter what type of infection you have, because if you tend to become dehydrated, you are more likely to get the complication of pneumonia.
NOW: Hydration is essential. But the professor says the No. 1 way to prevent a bad flu is: Go ahead, Michel.
MARTIN: Well, get your flu shot.
REGISTRATION: OK.
MARTIN: And contrary to another common myth, getting vaccinated won’t make you sick.
SCHAFFNER: You may have a little sore arm and some people have some degree of fever. But this is just one example of how your immune system begins to develop the protection needed to fight the virus.
INSKEEP: Now the flu strain and heavy circulation this season has emerged after the development of the most recent flu vaccine. But early research from the University of Pennsylvania finds the vaccine is still useful.
SCHAFFNER: Getting vaccinated is the most important thing you can do to prevent the flu. And COVID, for that matter.
MARTIN: Schaffner says it’s especially important for older or pregnant people or those at high risk because of chronic illnesses like diabetes.
SCHAFFNER: If these people go out indoors now in front of crowds, put that mask back on. Continue to wash your hands and try to avoid people who are coughing and sneezing.
MARTIN: And if you get sick, Schaffner has one request.
SCHAFFNER: Please stay home. Don’t go to work or school and be a dreaded spreader.
MARTIN: Formidable spreader. He says the flu usually peaks in the United States in February, but flu season can last into April. It’s time to take this photo.
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