STAY WELL this winter

Health-boosting tips to help see off those viruses

Feeling low? Runny nose? It’s that time of year when many of us get struck down with a cold or flu. ‘Generally, we don’t get more viruses because we’re exposed to colder temperatures, but because we spend more time indoors with people who pass on their germs,’ says Dr Riccardo Di Cuff a (your-doctor.co.uk). Most winter bugs are a nuisance rather than dangerous, but they can still make us feel dreadful. Here’s how to fight them…

Immunity v infection

‘There are more than 200 cold viruses and most of us will catch at least one or two colds every year, but rarely the same virus twice,’ says Dr Roger Henderson*. ‘Once the cold ends, your body has then built up immunity, which will protect you from catching the same virus again.’ The best defence against getting a cold in the first place is a healthy lifestyle. ‘If you’re prone to infections, avoid people who aren’t well and consider taking a vitamin C supplement,’ adds Dr Henderson.

Are you contagious?

While many of us will still try to soldier on with a bug, the risk of spreading germs makes a solid case for staying at home when you have one. In fact, post-pandemic, 69% of British workers feel that it is now unacceptable to go into work if they have a cough or a cold.**

Cold and flu germs are passed on via contact with others. ‘Reducing the transmission of germs is the best way to prevent them entering our body, which would result in us catching a cold or the flu,’ says GP Dr Angeli Kanungo. As sneeze droplets can stay in the air for up to 20 minutes and germs can live on hands for up to three hours, extra vigilant hygiene will prevent you catching, or spreading, illnesses.