Why Shouldn’t The General Public Wear Facemasks
Because theres no conclusive evidence that facemasks will protect healthy people in their day-to-day lives.
The virus is spread by picking up the virus from touching infected surfaces, or by someone coughing or sneezing at very close range so unless you are standing close to someone with the virus, wearing a facemask will not make a difference.
There are concerns about the risks posed by not using facemasks correctly.
Facemasks must be changed regularly as they are less effective when dampened by a persons breath. People may infect themselves if they touch the outer surface of their mask, or may infect others by not disposing of old masks safely.
Finally, wearing a facemask may encourage complacency. People need to focus on good hand hygiene, staying at home if they are feeling unwell, and covering their mouth when they cough or sneeze.
If I’m Sick How Long Should I Wait To Get The Vaccine
According to this Q& A with Dr. Jennifer Pisano, an infectious disease specialist with the University of Chicago Medicine who also had COVID-19 and is now vaccinated, you can get the vaccine anytime after you’re no longer infectious or in quarantine.
People who received monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma as treatment for COVID-19, however, should wait 90 days before getting the vaccine, according to the CDC. It’s recommended to wait if you’ve received monoclonal antibodies as treatment because they prevent your body from forming a robust immune response to the vaccine, according to a Cleveland Clinic report.
People with multisystem inflammatory syndrome should also consider delaying vaccination until they’re no longer sick, the CDC says.
It’s hard to say whether COVID-19 symptoms such as dry cough and headache get worse or better with a second infection.
How Many Times Can People Get Covid
Among those who have had Covid twice are the politicians Kier Starmer and Matt Hancock, while there have also been reports of people having a Covid infection three or even four times, some just a few weeks apart.
The UKHSA do not break down reinfections by episode, although they have identified some possible third reinfections. What is clear is that the longer Covid is with us, the more reinfections a person may potentially experience.
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When Should I Get My Flu Shot
Though the exact timing of flu season varies year to year, infections generally start to ramp up around October. The best time to get your flu shot is in the early fall, ideally before the end of October.
“But if you miss that deadline, then get it as soon as you can afterward,” Dr. Moore says. “There’s no point at which it’s too late to get your influenza vaccine.”
Misconceptions About Flu Vaccine Effectiveness
Influenza vaccine effectiveness can vary. The protection provided by a flu vaccine varies from season to season and depends in part on the age and health status of the person getting the vaccine and the similarity or match between the viruses in the vaccine and those in circulation. During years when the flu vaccine match is good, it is possible to measure substantial benefits from flu vaccination in terms of preventing flu illness and complications. However, the benefits of flu vaccination will still vary, depending on characteristics of the person being vaccinated , what influenza viruses are circulating that season and, potentially, which type of flu vaccine was used. For more information, see Vaccine Effectiveness How well does the Flu Vaccine Work. For information specific to this season, visit About the Current Flu Season.
There are many reasons to get an influenza vaccine each year. Flu vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones against flu and its potentially serious complications.
Below is a summary of the benefits of flu vaccination and selected scientific studies that support these benefits.
- Flu vaccination can keep you from getting sick with flu.
- A 2018 study showed that from 2012 to 2015, flu vaccination among adults reduced the risk of being admitted to an intensive care unit with flu by 82 percent.
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Misconceptions About Flu Vaccines
Can a flu vaccine give you flu?
No, flu vaccines cannot cause flu illness. Flu vaccines given with a needle are made with either inactivated viruses, or with only a single protein from the flu virus. The nasal spray vaccine contains live viruses that are attenuated so that they will not cause illness.
Are any of the available flu vaccines recommended over the others?
Yes, for some people. For the 2022-2023 flu season, there are three flu vaccines that are preferentially recommended for people 65 years and older. These are Fluzone High-DoseQuadrivalent vaccine, Flublok Quadrivalent recombinantflu vaccine or Fluad Quadrivalent adjuvanted flu vaccine. On June 22, 2022, CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted unanimously to preferentially recommend these vaccines overstandard-dose unadjuvanted flu vaccines. This recommendation was based on a review of available studies which suggests that, in this age group, these vaccines are potentially more effective than standard dose unadjuvanted flu vaccines. There is no preferential recommendation for people younger than 65 years.
What if a preferentially recommended flu vaccine is not available?
If one of the three preferentially recommended flu vaccines for people 65 and older is not available at the time of administration, people in this age group should get a standard-dose flu vaccine instead.
Is it better to get sick with flu than to get a flu vaccine?
Do I really need a flu vaccine every year?
What Is Swine Influenza
Swine influenza is a disease in pigs. The virus currently transmitting among people is now generally referred to as swine flu, although the origin of the disease is still under investigation. There is no evidence of this strain of the disease circulating in pigs in the UK.
There are regular outbreaks of swine influenza in pigs worldwide. It does not normally infect humans, although this occasionally does occur usually in people who have had close contact with pigs.
Swine influenza viruses are usually of the H1N1 subtype. The swine flu that has spread to humans is a version of this virus.
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/5can You Catch Flu More Than Once In A Flu Season
The sudden rise in the number of flu cases has alarmed people around the world. Just as the COVID-19 cases witnessed a deep plunge, the flu and other respiratory illnesses have wreaked more havoc than ever. Amid such chaos, experts and medical professionals continue to urge people to get their flu shots. Given the circumstances and considering how virulent the influenza virus has gotten currently, there’s a high chance you could get the flu twice in one season.
How Can You Get Covid Again
After youve recovered from your first bout of COVID-19, you have some protection against the virus. But research on the older variants found that the natural immunity your body builds against COVID -19 goes away 2-3 months after infection.
Researchers are studying the newer variants to learn when you might be at the most risk for reinfection.
If youre vaccinated against COVID-19, its still possible to get reinfected and spread it to others. When the coronavirus gets past your vaccine immunity, doctors call it a breakthrough infection. Thats because COVID-19 vaccines work better at protecting you against some variants than others. But youre less likely to have serious symptoms or be hospitalized if youve been vaccinated.
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Whos At Risk Of Covid
By now, we know that anyone can get COVID-19 the vaccinated and unvaccinated, those who have had it already and those who havent. In the same vein, anyone can get COVID-19 again. Its important to note that were still learning a lot about reinfections and whos at risk for those reinfections, Dr. Esper says. But doctors do know that some people are at higher risk than others.
Reinfection In Unvaccinated People
Think you dont need to get vaccinated because youve already had COVID-19? Think again. This virus can overcome a persons host immunity and cause a second infection, Dr. Esper says. Reports indicate that vaccination provides longer protection than natural infection. Hes referencing a study that shows that unvaccinated people are 2.34 times more likely to be reinfected with COVID-19 than those who are fully vaccinated which drives home the importance of being vaccinated, even if youve already had the virus. Almost all the severe cases that were seeing right now are people who have not been vaccinated, he says.
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Are Variants To Blame For Reinfections
The CDC reports that the delta variant is at least twice as contagious as previous variants, and in December, omicron became the dominant variant in the U.S. Its even more contagious than delta.But you may be surprised to learn that the coronavirus actually doesnt mutate nearly as much as the flu, which changes nearly everything about its appearance from one year to the next. Rather, Dr. Esper says, its COVID-19s contagiousness that makes it so, well, contagious. This variants infectiousness including its ability to evade immune systems and prevent long-lasting immunity for those people who are infected with it is one of the reasons why its been able to persist and come back, he explains.
Who Will Be A Priority For Vaccination With The H1n1 Swine Flu Vaccine
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has previously advised that the priority groups in relation to H5N1 should be assumed to be:
- frontline health and social care workers
- older people and those in clinicalrisk groups, as flu can be more serious in these groups, and
- under-16s, as protecting children can slow the spread of the virus in the population.
The priority groups would be reviewed in light of evidence on the virulence and severity of the new virus in different groups.
The government will still aim to achieve universal vaccination, but because the vaccine will have to be delivered over time, it is right that we start thinking now about groups to be prioritised.
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Should I Go To Work Or School If I Have Been In Contact With Someone Who I Know Has Swine Flu
Yes, as long as you do not have flu-like symptoms. If you are feeling well, you should go about your normal activities, including going to school or work.
It can take up to seven days after infection for swine flu symptoms to develop. If you develop symptoms, stay at home and follow the general advice.
What To Know About B And A Strains
The fact that B strains are predominating this year isnt just confusing, its concerning as well.
B strains havent hit this hard for nearly 30 years, since during the 19921993 season, the CDC told Healthline.
Additionally, we didnt see much of the B strain in the past couple of years, according to Dr. Norman Moore, the director of infectious diseases for Abbott.
This means that many people especially kids have never been exposed to the strain, and consequently, dont have residual immunity against it.
When theres a rarity, it actually sets you up for another bigger push to get it, because at that point, we really dont have anybody with any strong immunity going around, so were all potential vessels for getting exposed and transmitting it, Moore said.
This is one of the reasons kids are being hit harder this year. Theyve never been exposed to this type of the flu its their first go-around.
These kids are just brand new to getting flu B, Moore said.
And because we havent seen much of the B/Victoria strain in the past few years, this years vaccine missed the mark.
We thought initially the match was perfect, but its not. Its off a little bit, and that means in many populations the vaccine is not going to function optimally, Schaffner explained.
Fortunately, the vaccine covers H1N1 well. According to Schaffner, the match to H1N1 is right on.
Our past experience with influenza viruses does give us some residual protection that lasts, Schaffner said.
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How Is The Flu Treated
Most kids with flu get better at home. Make sure your child:
- drinks lots of liquids to prevent dehydration
- gets plenty of sleep and takes it easy
- takes acetaminophen or ibuprofen to relieve fever and aches. Don’t give kids or teens aspirin because of its link to Reye syndrome.
- wears layers that are easy to remove. Kids might feel cold one minute and hot the next.
Children with the flu should stay home from school and childcare until they feel better. They should go back only when they haven’t had a fever for at least 24 hours without using a fever-reducing medicine. Some kids need to stay home longer. Ask the doctor what’s best for your child.
Doctors may prescribe antiviral medicine for a very ill child or kids are at risk for more serious symptoms. The medicine can shorten the flu by 12 days. It works best if children start taking it within 48 hours of the start of the flu. If a doctor prescribes antiviral medicine for your child, ask about any possible side effects. Doctors won’t prescribe antibiotics for the flu. Antibiotics work only against bacteria, not viruses.
/5why It’s Important To Get Your Flu Shot
Getting your flu shot has become more important than ever. Just like the novel coronavirus, flu is a contagious respiratory illness that can lead to mild to moderate infections and in some cases can even prove fatal.
Clinical evidence suggests that in 2020, the total number of flu cases was 2,752 with 44 deaths as opposed to 28,798 cases and 1,218 deaths in 2019. The drop in the number of cases attributes to the decrease in the number of testing, masking and social distancing.
However, the current state of affairs only highlights a sudden spike in the number of flu cases, not just in India but globally, which is why it is important to receive your flu vaccines now!
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What Is The Incubation Period For Swine Flu
According to the Health Protection Agency, the incubation period for swine flu can be up to seven days, but is most likely to be between two and five days. It is, however, too early to be able to provide details on virus characteristics, including incubation period, with absolute certainty at this time.
If I Have Been In Close Contact With An Infected Person Do I Need Treatment
You only need antiviral treatment if you have been diagnosed with swine flu and your doctor decides it is necessary, or if a doctor decides that you are at serious risk of developing severe illness
The government is no longer trying to contain the virus because it is now widespread in the UK. It is not effective to give antivirals to people who are not ill, as they will be repeatedly exposed to the virus in the community.
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Can You Actually Catch The Same Cold Twice
Well, its happening. After slogging through a cold, you can finally breathe again…right as you start to hear sneezes, sniffles, and throat clearing from your partner, cubicle mate, or someone else whos basically always in your space. Looks like your old cold has a new home.
The last thing you want is to get steamrolled again by the very illness you just kicked. But is that even possible? Here, infectious disease experts lay out the science behind catching the same cold twice.
They include rhinovirus , respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza virus, adenovirus, coronavirus, and metapneumovirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . All of these can prompt symptoms associated with the common cold, like a runny nose, cough, sore throat, sneezing, headache, and binge watching Outlander for so long that you start thinking in a Scottish accent.
Each virus also has subcategories of genetic diversity called serotypes , Alexander L. Greninger M.D., assistant director of the University of Washington Medicine Clinical Virology Laboratory, tells SELF. Rhinovirus, for instance, has over 100 serotypes, Dr. Greninger explains.
When you get sick, you develop antibodies for the virus serotype youve caught, Dr. Greninger explains. This keeps you from catching it again right away. But those antibodies wont necessarily protect you from other forms of the virus.
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Is Swine Flu Treatable
Testing has shown that the swine flu can be treated with the antiviral medicines oseltamavir and zanamivir . However, the drugs must be administered at an early stage to be effective.
The UK already has a stockpile of antivirals sufficient to treat half the population. Also, orders of Tamiflu have been placed to increase UK supplies to 50m doses, enough to treat 80% of the population.
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How Many Reinfections Have There Been
According to the latest figures for England from the UKHSA, from the start of the pandemic up to 1 April this year there were 890,575 possible reinfections, of which more than 10,000 were third episodes .
Very few possible reinfections are confirmed as that requires genetic sequencing. Whats more, with few people in the community having access to tests in the first wave, many first infections may not have been counted.
With the combination of being two years into the pandemic, a few rounds of antibody waning, two major waves of immune evasion by Delta and then Omicron, theres fairly rampant reinfection, said Danny Altmann, a professor of immunology at Imperial College London.