Few things can derail a trip like coming down with a cold or the flu. Yet with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting 91 different strains of flu virus in circulation during the 2012-2013 flu season, avoiding illness while on the road can be especially challenging.
It’s possible to infect others with the flu virus beginning one day before symptoms emerge to up to five to seven days after you become sick, according to the Contac Cold & Flu HQ. The number of Americans traveling increases dramatically during the holiday season, which happens to coincide every year with the height of the flu season. Travelers are exposed to more germs and viruses than folks who stay home, so if you’ll be taking a trip this winter, it pays to keep some preventive precautions and treatment options in mind.
kAm%96 &]$] s6A2CE>6?E @7 w62=E9 2?5 wF>2? $6CG:46’D H63D:E6[ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]7=F]8@G^2E\C:D<^EC2G6=6CD^:?56I]9E>=Qm7=F]8@Gk^2m[ 25G:D6D EC2G6=6CD E@ik^Am
kAmY v6E G244:?2E65 2E =62DE EH@ H66<D 367@C6 J@F EC2G6=] %96 7=F G244:?6 25>:?:DE6C65 :? E96 &]$] H:== AC@E64E J@F 2?JH96C6 :? E96 H@C=5]k^Am
kAmY (2D9 J@FC 92?5D 7C6BF6?E=J[ FD:?8 D@2A 2?5 H2E6C @C 2? 2=4@9@=\32D65 92?5 4=62?D6C] %9:?< @7 2== E96 DFC7246D J@F E@F49 H9:=6 EC2G6=:?8 – 7C@> E96 DE66C:?8 H966= @7 J@FC C6?E2= 42C E@ E96 5@@C 92?5=6 @7 E96 4@?G6?:6?46 DE@C6 H96C6 J@F DE@A 7@C 5:C64E:@?D] }@H E9:?< @7 2== E96 @E96C A6@A=6 H9@ 92G6 E@F4965 E9@D6 DFC7246D E@@ 2?5 =67E 369:?5 E96:C 86C>D]k^Am
kAmY pG@:5 923:ED E92E 42? DAC625 86C>D[ =:<6 E@F49:?8 J@FC 6J6D[ ?@D6 @C >@FE9[ 2?5 DE2J 2H2J 7C@> A6@A=6 H9@ 2C6 2=C625J D:4<] %9:D 42? 36 5:77:4F=E E@ 5@ H9:=6 EC2G6=:?8[ 3FE E96C6’D ?@ D92>6 :? C6D62E:?8 J@FCD6=7 2H2J 7C@> A6@A=6 H9@ 2C6 4@F89:?8 :? 2 H2:E:?8 C@@> @C 2D<:?8 E@ 36 >@G65 @? 2 7=:89E 2H2J 7C@> 2 EC2G6=6C H9@ :D 4@F89:?8 @C D?66K:?8]k^Am
kAmY |2:?E2:? 962=E97F= 923:ED =:<6 86EE:?8 6?@F89 D=66A[ 6I6C4:D:?8 C68F=2C=J[ DE2J:?8 9J5C2E65 2?5 62E:?8 H6==] %C2G6= 42? 36 E:C:?8 F?56C E96 36DE 4:C4F>DE2?46D[ D@ :E’D :>A@CE2?E E@ 86E 6?@F89 C6DE H9:=6 @? E96 C@25]k^Am
kAmY x7 J@F 5@ 42E49 E96 7=F[ 5@?’E EC2G6=] $E2J 9@>6 7C@> H@C< @C D49@@= 7@C 2E =62DE ac 9@FCD 27E6C J@FC 76G6C 3C62<D]k^Am
kAmv6EE:?8 G244:?2E65 :D?’E 2=H2JD 2? @AE:@? 7@C 6G6CJ@?6[ D@ :7 J@F 5@ 4@>6 5@H? H:E9 E96 7=F[ :E’D :>A@CE2?E E@ E2<6 DE6AD E@ C6=:6G6 DJ>AE@>D 2?5 96=A J@FC 3@5J’D ?2EFC2= 5676?D6D 7:89E @77 E96 G:CFD]k^Am
kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^u=F]8@GQmu=F]8@Gk^2m D2JD 2?E:G:C2= >65:42E:@?D >2J 96=A C65F46 E96 =6?8E9 @7 E:>6 J@F’C6 D:4< 2?5 6G6? >2<6 E96 :==?6DD >:=56C[ 3FE E96J 2C6 >@DE 67764E:G6 :7 DE2CE65 :? E96 7:CDE EH@ 52JD E92E J@F 364@>6 D:4<] *@F’== ?665 E@ D66 J@FC 5@4E@C 7@C 2 AC6D4C:AE:@?]k^Am
kAmxE’D 2=D@ A@DD:3=6 E@ EC62E E96 7=F 2E 9@>6[ FD:?8 @G6C\E96\4@F?E6C >65:42E:@?D] k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^u=F]8@GQmu=F]8@Gk^2m D2JD 564@?86DE2?ED 42? 62D6 DEF77J ?@D6D[ D:?FD A2:?[ 62C 2?5 496DE 4@?86DE:@?[ 2?5 4@F89 >65:4:?6 @C 4@F89 5C@AD 42? AC@G:56 E6>A@C2CJ C6=:67 7@C 4@F89:?8 2?5 D@C6 E9C@2ED]k^Am
kAmx7 J@F 5@ 4@>6 5@H? H:E9 E96 7=F[ 2? @G6C\E96\4@F?E6C >65:4:?6 =:<6 r@?E24 r@=5 Z u=F 42? 96=A EC62E J@FC DJ>AE@>D]k^Am
kAm%96 72>:=J @7 r@?E24 r@=5 Z u=F >65:4:?6 :?4@CA@C2E6D D6G6C2= :?8C65:6?ED :? 2 G2C:6EJ @7 AC@5F4ED 7@C >F=E:\DJ>AE@> C6=:67i 246E2>:?@A96? E@ 96=A C65F46 76G6C 2?5 C6=:6G6 D@C6 E9C@2E 2?5 3@5J 2496Dj 2? 2?E:9:DE2>:?6 E@ 96=A C65F46 CF??J ?@D6 2?5 D?66K:?8 2?5 96=A >2<6 J@F 5C@HDJj 2 564@?86DE2?E E@ 96=A @A6? 3=@4<65 2:CH2JD 2?5 C6=:6G6 2 DEF77J ?@D6j 2?5 2 4@F89 DFAAC6DD2?E 7@C 4@F89:?8] *@F 42? =62C? >@C6 23@FE E96 7=F 2?5 r@?E24 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]r@?E24]4@>QmHHH]r@?E24]4@>k^2m]k^Am
kAmx? 255:E:@? E@ >65:42E:@?[ D@>6 ?@?\>65:4:?2= EC62E>6?ED >2J 96=A J@F 766= 36EE6C[ :?4=F5:?8ik^Am
kAmY v6EE:?8 A=6?EJ @7 C6DE]k^Am
kAmY $E2J:?8 9J5C2E65 H:E9 A=6?EJ @7 4=62C 7=F:5D DF49 2D H2E6C[ 3C@E9 @C DA@CED 5C:?<D]k^Am
kAmY $=66A:?8 H:E9 2 9F>:5:7:6C :? J@FC 365C@@> E@ 62D6 J@FC 3C62E9:?8]k^Am
kAmY v2C8=:?8 H:E9 H2C> D2=E H2E6C E@ C6=:6G6 2 D@C6 E9C@2E]k^Am
kAmz66A :? >:?5[ E92E H9:=6 E96 7=F G244:?6 42? 96=A AC6G6?E J@F 7C@> 42E49:?8 E96 7=F[ :E H@?’E AC6G6?E 2 4@=5] uC6BF6?E 92?5 H2D9:?8[ 2G@:5:?8 @E96CD H9@ 2C6 :==[ 2?5 >2:?E2:?:?8 962=E97F= 923:ED 2C6 E96 36DE H2JD E@ 2G@:5 42E49:?8 2 4@=5 5FC:?8 4@=5 2?5 7=F D62D@?]k^Am
kAmk:>8 DC4lVk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]2C24@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`eh_eU2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fQm9EEAi^^HHH]2C24@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`eh_eU2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fk^2mV 3@C56ClV_V H:5E9lV`V 96:89ElV`V ^mk^Am
