Cold and Flu Season: 5 Habits That Reduce Spread

Colds and flu spread most when people are indoors and close together, which is exactly what fall and winter bring. No habit works every time, but a few small ones add up. These come from CDC guidance.

Key takeaways

• The flu vaccine is the most important step. Habits work alongside it.
• Stay home when you are sick, until you are getting better and fever free.
• Hands, air and surfaces are the three easy places to cut the risk.

Five habits that help

1. Get the flu vaccine. The CDC calls it the most important step against the flu. It does not cover colds, so the other habits still matter. Our guide to when to get the flu shot covers timing.

2. Wash your hands often. Use soap and water, and scrub for about 20 seconds. If you cannot wash, use an alcohol based hand rub. Do it after coughing, before eating, and after you come home from outside.

3. Stay home when you are sick. The CDC suggests staying home for at least 24 hours, until your symptoms are getting better overall and you have not had a fever, without using fever reducing medicine. It protects coworkers, classmates and relatives who may be at higher risk.

4. Cover coughs and sneezes. Cough or sneeze into a tissue and throw it away. No tissue? Use your elbow, not your hands. Then wash your hands.

5. Clean the air and the surfaces. Open a window when you can, use an air purifier if you have one, or meet outdoors. Wipe frequently touched surfaces, like door handles, phones and light switches.

One more small habit

Try not to touch your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs can spread that way, and it is easy to forget. Keeping your hands busy, or washing them first, helps.

Make the habits stick

• Tie it to something you already do. Wash your hands as soon as you walk in the door.
• Put supplies where you need them. Tissues by the couch, a small hand rub in your bag, a soap dispenser at each sink.
• Plan for a sick day. Decide ahead who covers school pickup or work if someone is ill, so staying home is easy.
• Keep a small sick kit. A thermometer, tissues, fluids and any medicine your doctor already recommends, all in one place.

At work, school and home

Shared spaces are where germs move. At work, keep a hand rub at your desk and wipe shared keyboards and phones. At school, send a small pack of tissues with children. At home, give a sick person their own towel and cup, and keep the room aired out. None of this has to be perfect to help.

When to call a doctor

Habits do not replace medical care. Contact a doctor if symptoms are severe, get worse, or if you are at higher risk, such as an older adult, a young child, a pregnant person or someone with a chronic condition. Ask them about treatment options early.

Your checklist for this week

• ☐ Book your flu shot, or confirm you have had it.
• ☐ Put soap or hand rub where you will use it, at home and in your bag.
• ☐ Stock tissues and a thermometer.
• ☐ Agree a sick day plan with your household.
• ☐ Open a window for ten minutes a day if you can.

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This is general information, not medical advice. Check with your doctor before major changes. If you have a condition or symptoms that worry you, ask your care team.