Avoiding Illness During the Holidays
Stay Healthy This Holiday Season: Tips to Avoid Seasonal Illnesses
Holiday gatherings bring family and friends together but can also create opportunities for viral and bacterial illnesses to spread. Common seasonal illnesses, like colds, the flu, and RSV, are contagious and can sometimes be transmitted even before symptoms appear. These gatherings can lead to a rise in infections. Taking simple precautions helps protect loved ones and the community by keeping gatherings healthier and reducing the risk of spreading illness.
Flu
Influenza remains a serious threat to the health and well-being of our loved ones, especially older adults. It is estimated that between 3 percent and 11 percent of the U.S. population gets infected and develops flu symptoms each year ¹.
Symptoms of the flu include:
- Fever
- Cough
- Muscle or body aches
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
Although treatment is generally limited to supportive care, there are also antiviral medications available. In order to be effective, the antivirals must be started as soon as possible. Because the best prevention is vaccination, it is important to get an annual flu vaccine if you haven’t yet received one.
Covid
It’s still important to stay vigilant about the spread of COVID-19. The latest vaccine is formulated to target recent variants, which helps reduce the risk of severe illness and keeps gatherings safer. Symptoms of COVID-19 can include:
- Fever
- Cough
- Muscle or body aches
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue
- Loss of taste or smell
Because COVID-19 can spread before symptoms begin, asymptomatic testing should be considered before gatherings if you have unvaccinated or high-risk family members.
RSV
RSV cases generally rise around the same time as the flu, particularly in children. This infection is frequently spread in environments like schools and daycares. RSV symptoms include:
- Coughing or wheezing
- Sneezing
- Runny nose
- Decreased appetite
- Fever
Avoid sharing items used by infected people, such as bottles, toys, and utensils. Clean and disinfect frequently used objects and surfaces, like mobile devices and doorknobs. Keeping children at home if they have symptoms reduces RSV transmission to teachers or other children.
Symptom Comparison
It can be difficult to tell the differences between viral illnesses, especially COVID-19 and the flu, because the symptoms can be similar. Both of these illnesses can cause:
- Fever
- Cough
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Sore throat
- Muscle pain or body aches
- Headache
- Vomiting
Although flu symptoms appear quicker, COVID-19 is infectious for a longer period of time. The CDC recommends getting tested for COVID-19 and influenza simultaneously ². For more information on the differences between these illnesses, visit the CDC’s comparative webpage.
How Illness Spreads
Viruses can spread through respiratory secretions in the air. Covering coughs and sneezes, wearing a mask, and social distancing prevent illness by reducing the exposure to droplets in the air. Surfaces can remain infectious, too. Washing your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds prevents transferring viruses from infected surfaces to your body.
Foodborne Illness
Foodborne illnesses are caused by pathogens like viruses, bacteria, or parasites that contaminate food. There are an estimated 48 million illnesses and 3,000 deaths each year in the United States due to foodborne illness, which could be the result of improper food storage, undercooking, or even cross-contamination ³. Some common foodborne illnesses are caused by bacteria like E. Coli, Salmonella, and Botulism.
Symptoms can begin as early as a few minutes after ingestion and as late as several weeks! Most foodborne illnesses include flu-like symptoms and gastrointestinal distress such as vomiting, nausea, or diarrhea. The best way to avoid foodborne illness is to ensure that food is properly prepared, cooked, and stored.
When preparing food, wash hands and surfaces thoroughly and frequently. Keep raw meat and vegetables separate. Store food in the refrigerator in a sealed, air-tight container. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of foods and follow the chart below ⁴:
|
Meat |
Temperature |
|
Poultry |
165 °F |
|
Beef and pork |
145 °F and allow to rest for at least 3 minutes |
|
Eggs |
160 °F |
|
Fish and Shellfish |
145 °F |
For more information about foodborne illness and food safety, visit the USDA website.
Keep Your Family Illness-Free
As disease outbreaks loom, don’t let infectious disease darken your holiday season. Here is a simple checklist to reduce the spread of illness over the holidays. 
- Avoid close contact with infected people
- Avoid sharing objects (including toys, cups, utensils, and bottles)
- Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or upper sleeve
- Avoiding touching your face with unwashed hands
- Stay home if sick and avoid contact with others
- Wear a mask or use other preventative measures, like social distancing, whenever possible
- Clean and disinfect frequently used objects and surfaces, such as mobile devices and doorknobs
- Stay up to date on seasonal vaccines, like COVID-19 and the flu
- Consider asymptomatic testing for COVID-19 prior to gatherings
- Cook food thoroughly, avoid cross contamination, and store food properly
These easy methods will help prevent the spread of infectious diseases and foodborne illness. Enjoy holiday gatherings with your loved ones safely and responsibly- and remain illness free in the process!
REFERENCES
¹ Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, August 13). About influenza. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/index.html.
² Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, September 17). Similarities and differences between flu and COVID-19. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/flu-vs-covid19.html.
³ U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2020, October 21). Foodborne illness and disease. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/foodborne-illness-and-disease.
⁴ U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2020, May 11). Safe minimum internal temperature chart. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/safe-temperature-chart.