Expert Advice on Preparing for the Fall COVID, Flu Season

MONDAY, Sept. 16, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- People should prepare for the fall cold and flu season by getting the updated influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations, an infectious diseases expert says.

“When my patients ask me if they should be getting a COVID vaccine this year, yes, essentially anybody over the ages of 6 months, I'm recommending it,” Dr. Nicholas Turner, an assistant professor of infectious diseases at Duke University, said in a HealthDay interview. “It's especially important for anybody who is over the age of 65 or has a chronic underlying medical condition.”

Three updated COVID vaccines have been approved, all of which target the latest variants.

“I've been recommending that my patients receive one of the updated vaccines, as opposed to one of the older ones, because they better protect against the viruses that are currently circulating,” Turner said. “The updated vaccines should already be available.”

COVID tends to come in two peaks per year, once in the late summer and early fall and another in the winter, Turner said.

The federal government plans to offer another round of free at-home COVID tests by the end of the month, in another step to help Americans prepare for any fall outbreaks.

However, Turner says people don’t necessarily need to test themselves to see if their sniffles are COVID.

“I would ask two simple questions really. Is this test going to change my own treatment? And is this test going to change what I do around other people?” Turner said.

Treatment with Paxlovid is available to people at higher risk of severe COVID infection, but these antiviral pills must be taken within five days of symptom onset.

“If individuals are older than 65 or have chronic health conditions that put them at higher risk and they might benefit from treatment for their COVID, testing is a good idea because treatments are most effective when given early,” Turner said.

A COVID test also could help people keep other family members or coworkers safe, Turner added.

"If you're going to be traveling to visit elderly relatives, if you work in a space that puts you in contact with people who are at higher risk for disease, or if you're going to be in a closed space around a lot of other people, it's a good thing to know whether you should be on isolation or not,” Turner said.

At-home tests still seem to be able to detect the latest variants, Turner said, but they aren’t as accurate as tests conducted at a doctor’s clinic.

“If people test at home and it comes out negative, but you still have symptoms, it's reasonable to repeat the test two days later,” Turner said.

People with verified COVID should try to isolate for one day after their symptoms fade, then wear a mask for an additional five days afterward, Turner said.

“We know that different people clear their infection more or less quickly than others. That's why we've tied it to symptoms now,” Turner said. “On average, most people will become noninfectious within 10 days of their onset of illness. Some people who are immune-compromised, that may take a little bit longer. Some people who are healthy and vaccinated, that may take a little bit shorter.”

“With all of these different viruses, not all of which have good vaccines and not all of which have easy tests, it's a polite thing to do to just stay home when you're feeling sick, or if you must go out, wear a mask that's actually effective for each and every one of these that we've spoken about,” Turner added.

People with mild or moderate COVID generally should treat their illness like a cold, Turner said -- stay hydrated and take over-the-counter meds for pains or fevers.

That treatment holds the same for children as well as adults, Turner added.

“Children are fairly similar to our adult cases, and so making sure that they stay well hydrated and offering them Tylenol for comfort is an entirely fine thing to do,” Turner said.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on COVID-19.

SOURCE: Nicholas Turner, MD, assistant professor, infectious diseases, Duke University