Seasonal Respiratory Illnesses

'Tis the season for respiratory illnesses and, while for the last several years, COVID has been at the forefront, this is the time of year when we can see a rise in many other respiratory illnesses including the flu, RSV, and more. The good news is there are things we can all do to protect ourselves from respiratory diseases: washing our hands, avoiding touching our face, covering coughs and sneezes, staying home when we are sick, and getting vaccines that can prevent illness and/or reduce the severity of symptoms. Ask your doctor about which vaccines are appropriate for you.

We often receive questions about if or when schools should close due to respiratory illness. Decisions regarding school closures are made by the school systems, taking into consideration guidance from the health department. We generally do not recommend school closures due to respiratory illnesses, unless there are not enough staff to run the school safely. Respiratory illnesses are transmitted mainly through airborne droplets/aerosols or close personal contact (kissing, sharing utensils, etc.) so “deep cleaning” is generally not very effective at slowing down the spread. Most common respiratory viruses are not capable of infecting a person after a few hours on surfaces, so routine cleaning of high touch surfaces (such as door knobs) at the end of a school day is sufficient.

For up-to-date information about what illnesses are affecting our area, visit: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/epidemiology/respiratory-diseases-in-virginia/.