Your 2023 Holiday Season Guide to COVID-19, Flu, and RSV

As you make your shopping list, plan travel, and schedule parties this holiday season, there’s something else you should add to your to-do list: making sure you’re up-to-date on the latest guidance around COVID-19, the flu, and RSV, as respiratory disease season hits full swing. “It’s always important to factor in the possibility of either transmitting an infection to other people or becoming infected, especially when getting together in large groups,” says Matthew Binnicker, director of clinical virology at the Mayo Clinic. “There are ways to safely gather and enjoy the holiday season,” but it requires taking the right precautions. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Here’s what to know about—and how to say safe from—COVID, the flu, and RSV this holiday season. Will there be a COVID-19 surge this winter? What about flu and RSV? Late fall and winter are typically peak times for COVID-19, the flu, and RSV to spread—and mid-November surveillance data suggests all three are already on the rise in the U.S. Based on historical trends, Binnicker says he expects to see continued upticks in infections in late November into December. “We typically see a surge in respiratory viruses as the temperatures drop and we proceed into the winter months,” he says. Which shots should I get and when? If you haven’t had COVID-19 or been vaccinated against it in at least six months, Binni...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 healthscienceclimate Source Type: news