Gov. Kate Brown, the public face of pandemic caution, announced this past weekend she has COVID-19.
It’s another reminder that public health officials are still on the alert for COVID infections. There are also two other viruses to keep an eye on this fall and winter:
There’s been a spike in the respiratory virus known as RSV, which has been around for decades. It mostly causes minor infections, but affects infants and the elderly most severely. Don’t forget about the seasonal flu, either: cases have spiked across the country, and infections could get far worse after multiple years of pandemic-era masking and social distancing that helped to prevent flu infections.
Here’s the advice from Oregon Health Authority officials on what you can do this holiday season to keep yourself and others healthy:
- Stay up-to-date on your shots for flu and COVID-19.
- Wash your hands frequently to protect against RSV, which is spread (unlike COVID) not just through the air, but also through surfaces.
- Mask up around those at risk, including those under two and senior citizens.
- Stay home even when you have minor symptoms – particularly if you’d be seeing people at greater risk.
