Save Yourself from the Onslaught of Viruses

The cold and virus season has begun, and soon the flu will arrive. We often greet the first cold days and significant temperature changes unprepared. Hypothermia and exhaustion of the body, along with poor nutrition, are the most common causes of colds, which, depending on the strength of the immune system, can last shorter and without consequences, but can also drag on and culminate in bacterial throat, sinus, ear, and lung infections.

A weakened body is an easy target for as many as two hundred types of viruses that cause various viral infections; the flu, on the other hand, is caused by only two types of constantly mutating viruses. Although we all come into contact with viruses, only about 15 percent of the population gets sick, which is why certain categories of the population – children, chronic patients, and the elderly – should be vaccinated every year before the flu season begins.

How to Tell the Difference
How can we know if we have a cold or the flu? The symptoms of the flu and a cold are different: the flu develops suddenly – a day after contact with the virus, a high temperature will appear, even up to forty degrees, headache, malaise, fever, muscle pain, and sometimes cough… It lasts about seven days, but complications can occur, the most severe being pneumonia, which can sometimes be caused by both viruses and bacteria simultaneously, making it potentially fatal for individuals with weaker immunity, especially children, chronic patients, and the elderly.
Sometimes the symptoms of the flu are milder, so it may be considered a cold, which develops more slowly than the flu: it takes several days for the virus to invade the body and cause sneezing, a watery nasal discharge, and a slightly elevated temperature…
Both the flu and viral infections need to be treated (recently, there are antiviral medications), and during the illness, one must rest. If it lasts longer than a week, especially if a cough or pain in the sinuses, ear, or throat occurs, one should see a doctor. Anyone can be their ‘own doctor,’ but only preventively. A doctor should handle the illness and determine the diagnosis and therapy.

Fast and Resilient
When it comes to prevention, it is impossible to escape viruses because anyone who comes into contact with people in any public place is at risk of infection. Viruses are transmitted through droplets, in the air, but you don’t even have to be close to someone who is sneezing or coughing to get infected because viruses can survive for up to 48 hours in the environment, and their transmission speed is very high. In just two to four hours, they can dominate an entire workspace and be found on objects that everyone uses. This was shown by research results conducted by microbiologists from the University of Arizona.
Using the MS-2 bacteriophage virus, harmless to humans, which is the same size and shape as the norovirus that causes vomiting and diarrhea, scientists ‘infected’ several locations in an office building and monitored how quickly it spreads and where it lingers. In just four hours, the virus ‘conquered’ sixty percent of the building’s space, including door handles, outlets, light switches, sinks in restrooms, computers and computer equipment, phones… Microbiologist Charles Gerba, the head of the research, emphasized that other viruses, including the flu virus, travel just like MS-2. This research also had a second part, prevention – employees were given disinfecting wipes to use before touching surfaces that others had touched. It was shown that hand hygiene reduces the spread of viruses by 80 to 99 percent.

The Fortress of Immunity
A similar study was conducted by scientists from the University of Virginia, but they investigated what happens to viruses in hotel rooms. In a room where an infected person was present, viruses survive for up to 24 hours after their departure, which is why those who frequently stay in hotels are advised to disinfect door handles, light switches, remote controls, and minibar doors with alcohol-containing wipes during the flu and cold season…. The results of the research only concretely proved the validity of the well-known saying that ‘cleanliness is half of health,’ but conducting scientific research is a different experience than working daily in a workplace. It is impossible, but also unimaginable, for employees to wipe down every surface they touch in the office before touching anything else, and then disinfect their hands with wipes. However, this does not mean that one should surrender and accept ‘fate.’ Illness, even infectious, is often a consequence of a poor and untidy lifestyle and can be prevented in many cases. The same goes for colds and the flu. A rested body, a diet rich in proteins, vitamins, and minerals, and hand hygiene are guarantees that someone who encounters the virus while passing by will remain healthy, unlike a person with weak immunity.
Strengthening the immune system means sleeping at least eight hours (those who sleep less than seven hours are three times more likely to catch a cold or the flu), avoiding alcohol, cigarettes, unhealthy food, and drinking plenty of herbal teas that boost the body’s resistance… Scientists advise that the space where one stays should be humid because flu viruses do not tolerate moisture; virus droplets become heavier and cannot float as quickly as in dry air. To inhibit or slow down the movement of flu viruses in the environment, humidity should be between 40 and 60 percent in the air.
If a cold or flu lasts longer than usual, and complications such as cough, slightly elevated temperature, and other symptoms occur, it is essential to see a doctor to avoid more severe consequences.