PRAIRIE DOC®
  • Home
  • About
  • People
  • Television
  • Podcasts
  • Perspective
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Foundation
  • Book

Respiratory Season and Lessons Learned

9/19/2021

 

Respiratory Season and Lessons Learned

​Prairie Doc® Perspectives for week of September 19, 2021

By Kelly Evans-Hullinger, M.D.
 
It is September, fall is in the air, and what we might call “respiratory season” is nearly upon us. Respiratory season refers to the colder months in which we spend much of our time indoors, maybe October through March. Normally, this season correlates with when we see high rates of typically seasonal respiratory infections such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus or RSV.

Living through the COVID-19 pandemic has given us knowledge we can use to greatly decrease the spread of all respiratory infections. During the 2020-2021 respiratory season, rates of influenza were at historic lows in South Dakota and across the country due to the measures we took to decrease the spread of COVID-19. So, what are the lessons learned?

First and foremost, we should learn that when we are sick with respiratory symptoms, we should avoid spreading our illness to others. It remains essential that anyone experiencing symptoms of cough, fever, or cold symptoms be evaluated and consider testing for COVID-19, influenza, and possibly other infections to ensure avoidance of spread.

Second, if you are sick, even if you have tested negative for COVID-19, try to avoid spreading germs to others. We should especially avoid contact with those most vulnerable to respiratory illnesses – this includes the very young and the very old and those who have suppressed immune systems or chronic lung disease. If you must be around others, keep distance when possible, cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and at best, wear a mask to keep those respiratory droplets out of the air. I now cringe to think of years past, when I would power through my common colds and see patients without a mask. I know I can do better in the future.

Finally, vaccines remain one of our best tools for infection prevention. Of course, vaccination against COVID-19 is crucial and has proven to be highly safe and effective. But let’s not forget other respiratory vaccines. It is time to think about getting your annual influenza vaccine. And if you are 65 years old or more, or if you have any medical problems increasing your risk for bacterial pneumonia, you should ask your healthcare provider about a pneumococcal vaccine.

We have the tools to keep ourselves and others healthy during the respiratory season. I, for one, hope that lessons learned during a respiratory viral pandemic might help us all do better in the future.
​
Kelly Evans-Hullinger, M.D. is part of The Prairie Doc® team of physicians and currently practices internal medicine in Brookings, South Dakota. Follow The Prairie Doc® at www.prairiedoc.org and on Facebook featuring On Call with the Prairie Doc® a medical Q&A show celebrating its twentieth season of truthful, tested, and timely medical information, broadcast on SDPB and streaming live on Facebook most Thursdays at 7 p.m. central.                     

Comments are closed.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

PRAIRIE DOC® MEDIA IS A PART OF HEALING WORDS FOUNDATION.

FIND SCIENCE-BASED PEDIATRIC MEDICAL INFORMATION ON OUR SISTER SITE. 
Healing Words Foundation logo
Play Eat Sleep logo
  • Home
  • About
  • People
  • Television
  • Podcasts
  • Perspective
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Foundation
  • Book