DALLAS — The holidays are back to their pre-pandemic glories, with the airline industry already expecting record-breaking travel days. But your loved ones aren’t the only ones coming to town this season: A team of highly-contagious respiratory viruses may also visit, and they likely have no plans to leave anytime soon.
Unseasonably-early waves of the flu and RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, are hitting cities across the U.S. and filling pediatric hospitals with sick children. While most older children and adults with healthy immune systems can fight such an infection with little issue, the viruses can still cause nasty symptoms, like cough, congestion, fever and body aches.
It may seem like avoiding the circulating ailments is impossible, but public health experts say there are ways to lessen the likelihood of getting sick. Here’s what you need to know to protect your family and friends as you celebrate the holidays:
