How to stay healthy during cold, flu and COVID-19 season

By CARLA K. JOHNSON
AP Medical Writer

Getting through winter healthy means trying to protect yourself from respiratory viruses. January can be the worst month for these illnesses and vaccination rates are low. When relatives, friends and co-workers are coming down with coughs, nasal congestion, fatigue and fever, keeping viruses at bay means thorough hand-washing, good ventilation and wearing a mask in crowded areas. If you do get sick, prompt testing can help determine whether you have COVID-19 or influenza. That’s important to see if you need one of the medicines that can help prevent severe illness: Paxlovid for COVID-19 and Tamiflu for flu.