Health Conditions / Infectious Diseases

During cold and flu season, it can be difficult to figure out what’s wrong if you start to feel sick. There’s a lot of overlap among the warning signs of illnesses that spike during fall, winter, and even early spring, like the common cold, COVID-19, influenza, and strep throat.If you or someone you’re caring for has strep, chances are the throat pain will be more intense than that of common viral illnesses—even including COVID-19, Cory Fisher, DO, a family medicine physician at the Cleveland Clinic, tells SELF. Though it’s very pronounced, a sore throat isn’t the only symptom that strep can cause: The infection, which occurs when bacteria known as group A Streptococcus infect the throat and tonsils, can also cause fever; pain when swallowing; red and swollen tonsils; white patches or streaks of pus on the tonsils; swollen lymph nodes in the front of the neck; and tiny, red spots on the roof of the mouth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).All of this is to say: You’re likely going to feel pretty run down for a few days if you have strep throat, which spreads through the respiratory droplets of, or direct contact with, an infected person. While leaving your house to trek to the doctor’s office might be the last thing you feel like doing, it’s really important to seek medical care if you think you have strep throat.Not everyone needs to take medication for strep throat, per the CDC. Specifically, “carriers” of the bacteria—or people who test positive, but don’t have any symptoms—usually won’t need treatment. But if you’re symptomatic and you test positive for strep, your doctor is probably going to recommend a treatment plan that includes antibiotics.A recent warning from the CDC about an uptick in invasive group A strep (iGAS) cases in children means you should also monitor any kids in your life for strep throat symptoms if they’re sick. Act quickly if you think they’ve been infected, since iGAS can be life-threatening for children in some cases, as SELF previously reported.Below, experts answer questions about strep throat treatment options, and why it’s truly a bad idea to try to “ride it out” without seeing a doctor.How to get rid of strep throatIf you think you have strep throat, you should make an appointment with a primary care provider so they can test you for the infection ASAP, Waleed Javaid, MD, epidemiologist and director of Infection Prevention and Control at Mount Sinai Downtown in New York, tells SELF. If you don’t have a go-to primary care provider or have trouble making a last-minute appointment, you should go to a local urgent care center to be tested.The gold standard for treating strep throat is a course of oral antibiotics, Dr. Javaid says. This will help control the infection and minimize the risks of potential complications, which aren’t anything you want to mess with: An untreated strep infection can lead to scarlet fever; inflammation of the kidney; rheumatic fever; a condition called poststreptococcal reactive arthritis, which causes inflammation of the joints; sinus or ear infections; as well as the development of abscesses (pockets of pus) around the tonsils or neck. In severe cases—when the infection causes invasive disease (iGAS)—the bacteria can spread to the skin or bloodstream. However, these complications are rare: Out of millions of strep infections each year, only 14,000 to 25,000 are classified as iGAS cases, per the CDC.

What’s different about the current outbreak, according to Thainá Landim de Barros, PhD, a poultry health extension specialist at The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, is that warmer months haven’t slowed the spread, like they did in the summer of 2015. Unfortunately, she tells SELF, the current outbreak hasn’t followed the trajectory of the 2014–2015 outbreak—rather than getting back to normal, cases continued to spread over the summer last year.Should we be worried about bird flu eventually spreading to humans?In rare cases, people in contact with avian flu–infected birds do get the virus. A few months after the H5N1 virus was identified in the US last April, a person with “direct exposure to poultry” who was exposed to infected birds tested positive for the virus, per the CDC. But since December 2021, fewer than 10 people globally have contracted the virus, the agency says. Historically, people with the virus have experienced a range of reactions: Some have had no symptoms, and others had mild illnesses (such as an eye infection or upper respiratory symptoms). In a few cases, the virus has caused severe disease, like pneumonia and death. We don’t fully know the circumstances surrounding the people who have died during the current outbreak (and whether they had any underlying health conditions that could have made them more vulnerable).People who work with poultry can contract the virus through prolonged contact with an infected bird; if they inhale a bird’s mucus, saliva, or poop; or if any of those things get into their eyes, nose, or mouth. Thankfully, bird flu isn’t transmitted through cooked food, so you don’t need to worry about contracting the illness through groceries you pick up at the store. “The food safety risk doesn’t exist,” Dr. Landim de Barros says.While bird-to-human cases are rare, researchers are closely monitoring the outbreak’s potential threat to humans based on transmission from mammals. If researchers were to find proof of animal-to-human or human-to-human transmission, the response could look similar to that which occurred when COVID-19 started spreading, Dr. Russo says. This may include policies that slow the spread of illness and a wide-scale vaccination campaign.What’s being done to stop the spread—and do we know when the outbreak will end?The White House recently announced it’s considering plans to vaccinate millions of chickens against bird flu. Per The New York Times, agricultural officials have started testing vaccines and discussing potential immunization plans with poultry industry leaders.In the meantime, global health authorities are working together to keep a close eye on the virus. “There are a lot of international organizations that keep assessing the risk for public health, and right now the risk is still considered low,” Dr. Landim de Barros explains. “All countries can keep their surveillance programs [up-to-date]” and promptly notify other countries when an outbreak occurs, she says. In the US, the USDA monitors bird flu by testing samples from wild bird populations. Commercial farmers also have to keep a close eye on their flocks and report cases of avian flu to a local veterinarian’s office or agricultural agent, or the USDA itself. (Farmers and other people who work with wildlife can tell if a bird is sick by swabbing the animal’s throat or sending a fecal sample for analysis.)The CDC recommends that people who work with poultry wear protective equipment, like masks, gloves, and safety goggles.Unfortunately, there’s simply no way to tell when the current outbreak among poultry will end. But it’s essential, Dr. Landim de Barros says, to keep the news of the current outbreak in perspective. Given what we’ve all been through throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, it may be easy to spiral when you see scary headlines—but there’s truly no need to at the moment. “It’s important to tell people not to panic,” she explains. “We have so many news [stories] every day, but it’s important [to know] our parties are doing everything they can to pay attention to what is happening.”Related:

Pharmaceutical companies and health authorities are pushing to get respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines approved and ready for distribution. There’s a good reason behind this sense of urgency: The virus surged through the US and  overwhelmed hospitals in recent months, as SELF previously reported. Even in normal years, RSV is very common—and most people are infected with it during childhood: It typically causes more than 60 million illnesses worldwide annually, per the Cleveland Clinic, and usually peaks in the winter cold and flu season. The virus is very contagious, and it primarily spreads through contact with an infected person—for instance, people with RSV can spread it by coughing or sneezing. You can also contract RSV by touching a surface that has the virus on it, such as a doorknob, then putting unwashed hands on your face.RSV can cause symptoms like coughing, wheezing, and fever. In most cases, the virus is mild, but for people in certain age groups—or with certain medical conditions—RSV can be worse than just a bad cold. Each year, these infections cause up to 10,000 deaths in people 65 and older, as well as up to 300 deaths in children younger than five, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Obviously, a safe and effective vaccine would be great news—particularly for our loved ones who have a higher chance of having more serious cases of the virus. Below, experts explain when a shot could be available.Which RSV vaccines are closest to approval?Two pharmaceutical companies—Pfizer and GSK—have submitted their respective RSV vaccines for older adults to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval, and an advisory committee to the agency recently voted on the safety and efficacy of each vaccine. On February 28, the Pfizer vaccine got seven votes for and four against safety and the same count for effectiveness; on March 1, the GSK vaccine got 10 votes for and two against safety and a unanimous (12 to zero) vote on effectiveness. GSK and Pfizer aren’t the only two companies working on vaccines: In total, 11 RSV vaccines are being studied in clinical trials right now, per NBC News, including one from Moderna. Aside from the vaccines from GSK and Pfizer, shots from Janssen and Bavarian Nordic are furthest along in the development process. As of October, they were in the final phases of human clinical trials, according to reporting from CNN.When might the first RSV vaccine become available?Unfortunately, the fact that the advisory committee voted on the GSK and Pfizer vaccines doesn’t mean they’re right around the corner. Expecting the shots to be ready for the 2023–2024 cold and flu season may be a long shot, but it’s not unrealistic to predict they’ll be available for the following flu season, Frank Esper, MD, a pediatric infectious disease physician at the Cleveland Clinic, tells SELF.One reason RSV vaccines probably won’t be available ASAP: They still have to clear some regulatory hurdles. From here, the FDA has to decide if it agrees with the committee’s recommendations and, if so, issue final approval, Thomas Russo, MD, an infectious disease expert at the University of Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, tells SELF. The agency’s decisions about both the GSK and Pfizer vaccines are expected in May. Then, a separate advisory committee to the CDC has to review the vaccines. Ultimately, whether or not they’re recommended to the public will come down to CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH, Dr. Russo says.

You’ve probably heard a lot about how important your immune system is, especially over the past few years. Phrases like “herd immunity” and “immunocompromised” proliferated in official public health updates, news stories, and health care centers as experts navigated all the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, we know that the virus can affect anyone, but it can lead to particularly risky complications for the most vulnerable people in our communities.1Of course, the immune system’s job is to protect your body from all invaders that may be harmful, not just certain viruses: When functioning properly, it alerts your body to a wide range of potential threats and helps it respond accordingly. However, some people have dysfunctional immune systems—which are also known as weakened or compromised immune systems—that cause their bodies’ protective response to be under- or overactive, per Johns Hopkins Medicine.There’s no exact figure for how many people live with weakened immune systems, but it’s safe to say it’s in the millions, Leonard Calabrese, DO, a rheumatologic and immunologic disease expert at the Cleveland Clinic, tells SELF. Some research suggests at least 7 million adults in the United States are immunocompromised, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Below, experts explain the factors that can break down the immune system’s defenses, the common symptoms associated with compromised immune systems, and what kinds of treatments are available to help.What is a weakened immune system, exactly?Your immune system is an intricate network of cells, tissues, and organs (as well as the substances they make) that, generally speaking, fight disease and infection, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). White blood cells may come to mind, but there are lots of body parts that play important roles in your immune health, like your skin, lymph nodes and vessels, thymus gland (which makes white blood vessels), spleen, tonsils, and bone marrow, among others.The immune system is generally broken down into two parts, Scott Weisenberg, MD, an infectious disease specialist at NYU Langone Health, tells SELF. These are called the innate (or inherited) and the adaptive (or acquired) immune systems. The major difference between the two is that you’re born with the former, and your body develops the latter.2 The innate immune system is the first to respond to an invader—such as a harmful germ—by surrounding it with protective cells and, if all goes as planned, killing it. The adaptive immune system supports your innate response by producing proteins called antibodies.2 These are designed to counter a specific threat, like certain viruses or bacteria, should your body be exposed to them and need backup in the future, per Johns Hopkins Medicine.Problems can occur when the immune system either doesn’t respond enough or responds too strongly, Dr. Calabrese says. “A compromised immune system fails to either detect danger or [reacts] aggressively and causes collateral damage to our systems,” he explains.3It’s worth noting that problems with the immune system exist on a spectrum, Dr. Calabrese adds. The potential health risks posed by a weakened immune system aren’t the same if you’re comparing one person who, for example, has moderate allergies, to someone who’d recently had an organ transplant. “They’re hardly in the same category,” Dr. Calabrese says.Back to topWhat causes a weakened immune system?Any number of health issues, such as mild asthma, can affect your body’s ability to fight disease and infection—and certain lifestyle factors, like smoking tobacco and not getting enough sleep, can also interfere with your body’s ability to stay balanced and heal, the CDC says. However, there are several major factors that can compromise your immune system’s defenses. These include:Autoimmune diseasesAutoimmune diseases are characterized by a malfunctioning immune response; essentially, your body goes a bit rogue and starts to attack its healthy cells, tissues, and organs, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). There are more than 80 autoimmune diseases that experts know of, including rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, lupus, and many more; these conditions are thought to impact at least 24 million people in the United States, while an additional 8 million are estimated to have blood markers that point to their susceptibility of developing one of these disorders, per the NIH.

If you’re doing everything you can to avoid norovirus right now—an unpleasant stomach bug that’s making its rounds right now—then you’re probably ferociously washing your hands and trying to avoid people who are sick as much as you can.That’s because this pathogen tends to spread swiftly and stealthily. A person often becomes sick with norovirus (a common cause of the “stomach flu”) after having direct contact with someone who’s infected by the bug; they may also touch a surface that is contaminated with poop or vomit particles from an infected person, and then put unwashed hands near their mouth. (People with norovirus can shed billions of these microscopic particles, which is one reason why it’s so contagious.)But there’s another mode of transmission to be aware of: You can pick up norovirus from your food, too. In fact, norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). When norovirus is circulating in your community—as it is in many parts of the country currently—it’s also more likely that it will wind up on your plate, Benjamin Chapman, PhD, a professor and food safety specialist at North Carolina State University, tells SELF. Because norovirus can cause gnarly symptoms—persistent diarrhea and vomiting, stomach cramps, nausea, and a fever, to name a few—it’s worth being extra mindful of all the ways this bug might be proliferating right now. How is norovirus transmitted through food?Most people who contract norovirus from food get sick because someone who is or was recently infected prepared their meal or came into contact with the ingredients, according to the CDC. Many norovirus outbreaks linked to food happen in restaurants or at catered events when infected workers touch ready-to-eat foods, like raw fruits and vegetables, with their bare hands before serving them. Still, any food that’s simply touched, even after it’s been cooked, can get contaminated with norovirus if an infected person is handling it. Norovirus outbreaks can also stem from food that’s contaminated at the source or on a farm, like oysters harvested from contaminated water or fruit and vegetables that are sprayed with contaminated water in a field, the CDC says. The foods that are most often linked to norovirus include leafy greens, fresh fruits, and shellfish.There are some food safety habits to keep in mind if you’re concerned about norovirus.Just in case you need a gentle reminder: Wash your hands well with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before you prepare food or eat a snack or meal. If norovirus is on your hands, sudsing up properly before they get anywhere near your mouth should kill it and, hopefully, prevent illness. (Worth noting: Hand sanitizer doesn’t work well against norovirus, the CDC says, so handwashing is ideal, if possible.)It’s also important to cook shellfish to an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure potential viral particles are killed. Also, if you suspect that you have food in your home that may be laden with a sketchy bug (someone made it who later got sick, for example), it’s really safest to toss it.

People who travel internationally can also get exposed to Shigella if they’re staying in a region where the food and water may be unsafe to consume, the CDC says. Err on the side of caution if you’re unsure about the quality of local food and water sources: In this case, avoid raw foods and vegetables, tap water or ice made from tap water, unpasteurized milk or dairy products, and food purchased from street vendors.Most people recover from shigellosis without needing antibiotic treatment. Still, some folks are more likely to get an infection or experience severe symptoms, including children under the age of five, people experiencing homelessness, people with HIV, and immunocompromised people, per the CDC. Because Shigella bacteria are spread from person to person via the poop particles of an infected individual, having any form of sex that involves the anus can heighten your risk of contracting the bacteria too. (To be clear, shigellosis is not classified as a sexually transmitted infection.)Unfortunately, people can be contagious with this stomach bug for a while. You can still pass Shigella to people around you for a few weeks after your symptoms ease up, the CDC notes.What are the most common shigellosis symptoms?The symptoms of a shigellosis infection are similar to other GI illnesses, such as norovirus, per the CDC. They can include:FeverStomach pain or crampingDiarrhea (which can contain blood or mucus)Feeling the need to poop even when your bowels are emptyNauseaVomitingThese symptoms usually begin one to two days after the infection takes hold, per the CDC. In some cases, a person’s bowel habits (such as how often they poop and the consistency of their poop) don’t return to normal for several months after being infected with Shigella bacteria.Even though most people recover without treatment, certain symptoms should prompt an immediate doctor’s visit, including bloody diarrhea that’s lasted more than three days; severe stomach cramping or tenderness; signs of dehydration, like confusion, dizziness, or lightheadedness; or having a fever and feeling “very sick,” the CDC says. If you go to the doctor with severe symptoms, they can confirm whether or not you’ve been infected with Shigella bacteria via a stool sample to figure out the best treatment plan.The symptoms of shigellosis can cause dehydration very quickly, so it’s crucial to be mindful of your fluid intake, whether that’s through food or beverages, when you’re feeling really ill. If you feel like you’re unable to keep anything down, you shouldn’t hesitate to see a doctor, if you can.How to prevent a Shigella infection, and most stomach bugs in generalHandwashing is the name of the game: Sudsing up regularly is one of the easiest things you can do to avoid stomach bugs, including Shigella, the CDC says. You should wash your hands—with water and soap for at least 20 seconds—before preparing food and eating, after going to the bathroom, after changing a diaper, after cleaning your bathroom, and before you have any type of sex. (You should also take care to throw diapers away in a covered, lined garbage can and to clean the changing area thoroughly.)Now, we’re pretty sure you’re already aware of this, but a gentle reminder: If you or your partner has diarrhea, you shouldn’t have sex. To minimize your chances of getting sick with shigellosis, you should wait at least two weeks after diarrhea stops before you’re intimate again.If you suspect you have any type of stomach bug, avoid cooking for other people, if possible, and do your best to stay away from health care and childcare facilities, as well as any spaces in which food is prepared, until you feel better.Again, most people recover from this stomach bug just fine—and taking some simple precautions to protect yourself and your community can go a long way in avoiding a nasty illness and keeping everyone safe.Related:

Just in case you haven’t heard this enough yet: You should really, really be washing your hands well and often. It’s one of the most important things you can do to avoid norovirus, a nasty stomach bug that’s making lots of people sick lately.Reported cases of the gastrointestinal virus, which tends to cause horrible diarrhea and vomiting for roughly one to three hellish days, have steadily risen in the United States since August 2022, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Confirmed infections are climbing across the country but were highest in the southern and northeastern regions as of late February.   Norovirus, which is the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis (a.k.a. the stomach flu) spreads like wildfire, often through direct contact with someone who’s infected—say, by caring for a sick person, or by sharing food or eating utensils with them. You can also get norovirus by touching contaminated surfaces, like a door or toilet handle, and then touching your face with unwashed hands.Experts aren’t totally sure why there’s such a noticeable uptick in cases, but it’s worth noting that norovirus is somewhat seasonal, Christopher Cao, MD, an assistant professor of gastroenterology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, tells SELF. “It’s a year-round [virus], but we hear about it more in the winter,” Dr. Cao says. (Research suggests the virus fares better at lower temperatures. Per the CDC, cases tend to increase and persist in the late fall, winter, and early spring.)Trust us, you don’t want to deal with this pathogen. The symptoms of norovirus are pretty intense—and chances are, you’ll quickly know something’s up once they hit. Here are the most common signs of norovirus to watch out for—and when it’s time to see a doctor if you’re feeling super sick.1. Terrible stomach cramping or painIt’s easy to write off an upset stomach, but the abdominal cramping and pain typically caused by norovirus will be hard to ignore. Many people also experience uncomfortable nausea, per the CDC.2. Diarrhea, vomiting, or bothNorovirus often cause persistent diarrhea and vomiting—sometimes both at the same time, Rabia A. De Latour, MD, a gastroenterologist and assistant professor of medicine at NYU Langone, tells SELF. Per the CDC, it isn’t unusual to feel “extremely ill” and experience diarrhea or vomiting multiple times a day if you’re infected with norovirus. (That said, norovirus shouldn’t cause any blood in your stool.)3. Body aches and other flu-like symptomsYour GI tract may not be the only part of your body that’s in pain: Norovirus can also cause muscle aches (similar to those caused by the flu), fatigue, and headache, per the CDC. These are common symptoms of many infectious illnesses; when your immune system jumps into action to fight the harmful pathogen, your protective cells trigger inflammation, which can lead to soreness and make you feel really tired.  4. Fever and chillsA low-grade fever—meaning your temperature is somewhere between 99.6 and 100.3 degrees Fahrenheit—is a normal symptom of norovirus, as are the chills. Like muscle aches, a fever can be a sign that your body is fighting an infection, and it can cause you to feel clammy or sweaty.5. Signs of severe dehydrationBecause norovirus can cause seemingly nonstop diarrhea and vomiting, it’s essential to be aware of your fluid intake once symptoms hit, Dr. Cao says: “One of the most frequent symptoms we see in patients is dehydration.” This, in turn, can lead to muscle cramps, headaches, dizziness or lightheadedness, dark-colored urine, dry mouth, exhaustion, or feeling confused, as SELF previously reported.When to see a doctor about norovirus symptomsIf you have any of the potential norovirus symptoms above and they don’t settle down after 48 hours, it’s time to seek medical care, Dr. De Latour says. If you have a primary care doctor and you’re able to get an appointment with them, that’s a good place to start. (If not, consider visiting an urgent care center, especially if you can’t keep any food or fluids down.) If your health care provider suspects something else is causing your symptoms, they’ll be able to point you in the right direction.

When the COVID-19 pandemic was first recognized in 2020, scientists rushed to find a solution for preventing and treating the illness caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2. In part, they’ve made remarkable strides in a short amount of time: We now have strong, widely available vaccines that more than 269 million Americans have received. Yet a giant question mark looms over the future of COVID-19 treatment. Once-exciting monoclonal antibody therapies like Evusheld have been rendered largely ineffective by newer variants of the virus. Meanwhile, the antiviral medication Paxlovid, while effective, isn’t easy to access for many people.Now there’s a new injectable drug in development that’s generating some buzz: It’s called pegylated interferon lambda. Extremely scientific-sounding name aside, the clinical trial results are promising. A new study published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) in early February included 931 people who received the interferon lambda treatment; 1,018 people were given a placebo. A majority of the participants—83%, to be exact—had been vaccinated against COVID-19. During the study, 25 people in the interferon group and 57 people in the placebo group landed in the hospital with COVID-19—that’s a 51% difference in mainly vaccinated people, a group that already has some protection against the virus. The researchers concluded that the odds of visiting an emergency room or being hospitalized with COVID-19, regardless of dominant virus variants and vaccination status, were “significantly lower” in those who received the treatment compared to the placebo. “This is a very promising finding,” infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, MD, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, who was not directly involved with the study, tells SELF. Thomas Russo, MD, a professor and the chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York, who was not directly with the involved study, agrees. “This is really exciting,” he tells SELF. “It’s been long-awaited.”Despite the positive results, experts aren’t sold on this treatment’s potential for swift Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Here’s what we know about it so far.The interferon lambda treatment is given via injection.The interferon lambda treatment has already been compared to Paxlovid—an antiviral medication that’s been authorized for use in high-risk people who have moderate to severe COVID-19—but there are some differences between the two. First, interferon lambda, which also has antiviral effects, is administered via a single injection. Those who are prescribed Paxlovid—which includes two separate, generic drugs, nirmatrelvir and ritonavir—take three pills by mouth twice daily for five days. “The shot may be off-putting for some,” Dr. Russo admits—but in comparison, a single shot is much quicker than taking 30 pills in less than a week.These two treatments work differently in the body too. Paxlovid inhibits an enzyme that SARS-CoV-2 needs in order to continue taking over cells in the body. It essentially prevents the virus from setting up shop in healthy cells, eventually squashing the infection.Here’s how interferon lambda works instead: Interferons are proteins—which can be made by the body’s white blood cells or modified in a lab—that play a key role in stimulating the immune system to fight a virus, as well as other types of illnesses like certain cancers and autoimmune diseases. (The interferon lambda treatment used in the NEJM study was provided for free by a pharmaceutical company.) Essentially, an injection of interferon lambda can help support your immune system by delivering more of these critical infection-fighting proteins, Dr. Russo explains.

Unless you are one of the lucky few who has dodged COVID completely since the start of the pandemic, you’ve probably been infected with the coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, at least once. The heightened contagiousness of XBB.1.5—the latest omicron subvariant that’s significantly fueling new infections—has made it clear that, even if you’ve had COVID or been fully vaccinated and boosted, there’s a chance you’re going to get sick with the virus over and over again. Depending on the variant you’ve been infected with in the past, a new variant could potentially evade established antibodies, or even hit you a bit harder. On top of that, the vast majority of people are no longer practicing the precautions once widely used to blunt the spread of COVID. The result: The virus is still everywhere, so it’s important to take the possibility of reinfection seriously.However, despite living in what feels like a never-ending, unforgiving pandemic, we’re (finally) getting better at dealing with COVID. By now, you’re probably aware that getting vaccinated and boosted, taking regular at-home tests, isolating post-exposure, starting treatments like Paxlovid if you have access to them, and wearing a high-quality mask can help keep you and your community safe—but there are simple steps that shouldn’t be forgotten, and that you should take to protect your health if you get sick (whether it’s for the first time or you’re headed for round two).Here are three things you don’t want to skimp out on if you’re sick with COVID. Don’t underestimate the importance of sleep. You hear it all the time, but getting enough high-quality sleep is critical when it comes to staying healthy. Research shows that a lack of quality sleep may increase your chances of getting infected by a harmful pathogen, and it could also prolong your recovery if and when you do get sick. Shanina Knighton, PhD, RN, CIC, associate research professor at Case Western Reserve University and executive director at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control, tells SELF that sleep is one key factor in keeping your immune system in tip-top shape. Sleep helps your body produce cytokines, which are protective proteins in your body that fight infections like a cold, the flu, or COVID, including the inflammation these illnesses can trigger. When you’re sleep-deprived, your body pumps out fewer anti-inflammatory cytokines that are needed to stave off infections and help your body heal, says Dr. Knighton. Most adults need around seven to nine hours of sleep a night to optimally support their overall health, including their immune systems. Of course, when you’re sick, sometimes your symptoms—a runny nose or cough, fever, and body aches—can make it impossible to sleep well, which is why it’s so important to take sick days, if you can, when you’re not feeling so hot. If you can’t take off—which, let’s be real, is out of reach for many—try to turn in early at night or squeeze in some deep rest (even if you can’t doze off, the relaxation will be regenerative). “The only way for you to recover is to really sleep when you can,” Dr. Knighton says. Stay hydrated—seriously.Your mucus membrane—a.k.a. the mucosa, or the goo that lines all of your organs and body canals—has a very important job in keeping you healthy. It acts as a barrier against pathogens, like SARS-CoV-2, trapping them in sticky fluid and flushing them out of your body via coughs, sneezes, and postnasal drip. “You want to flush those bad things out of your body. and you can’t do that if you’re not having enough water,” says Dr. Knighton. 

Paxlovid, a treatment given to certain people who test positive for COVID-19, isn’t new: The oral antiviral was given emergency use authorization by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December 2021. Recently, though, the drug is slightly hard to come by: It’s prescribed in less than 20 to 25% of COVID-19 cases in some states, according to reporting from The New York Times. This isn’t due to Paxlovid’s efficacy: In the 15 months doctors have been prescribing the drug—which was developed to fight SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19—they’ve seen good results, Thomas Russo, MD, an infectious disease expert at the University of Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, tells SELF.For starters, research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shown that taking Paxlovid to treat COVID-19 reduces the risk of hospitalization up to 51% for people 18 and up. That same CDC report also found that, among people hospitalized with COVID-19, those who take Paxlovid are less likely to die.Aside from cutting the risk of hospitalization and death—two potential consequences of COVID-19 that are often, though sometimes mistakenly, associated only with high-risk individuals—Paxlovid can benefit young, otherwise healthy people, Valida Bajrovic, MD, director of antimicrobial stewardship at Mount Sinai Morningside and Mount Sinai West in New York, tells SELF. She points to preliminary research from the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which hasn’t yet been peer-reviewed, that found Paxlovid use reduces the risk of developing 10 of 12 symptoms and complications associated with long COVID—including heart disease, blood disorders, shortness of breath, and neurocognitive impairment, among others. (Reminder: Long COVID can affect anyone infected with the virus, not just high-risk individuals.)On top of this, Dr. Bajrovic says, taking Paxlovid may reduce the number of days you’re sick with COVID-19, should you get infected. “For young, otherwise healthy patients, [taking Paxlovid can mean] fewer days of fever and severe cough,” she explains.Even though the benefits of Paxlovid have been documented, some experts say that the drug still isn’t used enough. Below, experts explain why Paxlovid is underused—and what needs to be done to change that.Who can and can’t get a Paxlovid prescription right now?Right now, Paxlovid is recommended for people who are considered high-risk. Until recently, people actually needed a positive COVID test to get a Paxlovid prescription. But in February 2023, the FDA revised the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the drug, noting the “removal of requirement of SARS-CoV-2 viral testing” for Paxlovid. Though the agency didn’t clarify why they revised the EUA, this could help get Paxlovid to more people, Dr. Russo says.Though some may falsely assume “high-risk” individuals make up a small segment of the population, that’s not the case, Dr. Bajrovic says. In addition to anyone over the age of 65, pregnant people, people with high BMIs, people who haven’t been vaccinated, people with certain mental health conditions (including depression), and people with a wide range of chronic health issues—including diabetes, asthma, cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic lung disease, and more—are at risk of developing severe disease from COVID-19—and are, thus, eligible for Paxlovid, Dr. Bajrovic says. There’s no way to tell exactly how many people this affects, but a significant percent of the American population can take Paxlovid to treat COVID-19, she adds. (The number of unvaccinated people alone is in the millions: Only 81% of people have received at least one dose, per the CDC.)