How to Protect Yourself from Respiratory Viruses?

Multiple viruses with similar characteristics affect the upper and lower respiratory tracts. These are the tracts above and below the vocal cords. Together, they are known as respiratory viruses. Respiratory viruses can happen to people worldwide and infect you at any time of the year. This article will teach you what they are, how they spread, and the most effective ways to protect yourself.

Understanding Respiratory Viruses

Respiratory viruses typically spread when someone coughs or sneezes. When this happens, droplets that contain the viruses are either inhaled or land on surfaces where they can end up on your hands and then into your body. They are spread quickly, and just one person is capable of causing an entire pandemic if control measures aren't observed.

How do They Spread?

When the viruses enter the body, they cause a range of symptoms, some of which you may already know. Do you remember the last time you had a head cold, you were sneezing a lot, your nose was stuffed, and you had a fever? That was most likely the cause of a respiratory virus.

Respiratory viruses are capable of mutating as they spread from person to person. If a virus enters the body, it can change parts of its genetic makeup that may make it resistant to treatment if it infects another person.

The problem is that viruses have similar symptoms, so they can be hard to diagnose. These symptoms are not very serious in healthy adults, but in immunocompromised and vulnerable age groups like babies and the elderly, they can be very severe. One surefire way is to test for particular viruses in a laboratory, as it's the only way to get accurate information.

How do I Protect Myself from These Respiratory Viruses?

The recent COVID-19 pandemic caused a review of relevant literature regarding ways to protect yourself from not just COVID but other respiratory viruses. One of the most efficient protection against viruses is by covering your nose and mouth with a face mask. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, making masks mandatory during the wake of the COVID pandemic also led to a significant drop in flu cases in the USA.

Masks limit the spread of viruses by protecting the door to your respiratory system. You already know that air droplets spread them, so imagine wearing a mask near a sneezing person. The number of air droplets they would inhale is significantly reduced compared to how much would be inhaled if a mask was not worn. Also, if a person who has been infected with a virus sneezes or coughs while wearing a mask, the droplets won't escape the mask, meaning they won't infect other people.

Other Precautions for Protection Against Viruses

Apart from wearing a mask, you can get protection against the viruses below.

Vaccination

Most of these viruses have a vaccine, so getting one is a good way to help your body fight them better if you were to get infected. Talk to your healthcare provider to see your options, and look into vaccinating other family members as well.

Wash Your Hands Periodically

Washing your hands as often as possible helps you get rid of any viruses that you may have come in contact with and that could get into your body. You can also carry around hand sanitizer for when you can't wash your hands.

Social Distancing

This was popular during the pandemic but can still be applied to everyday life. The idea is that if there's a significant distance between you and someone else, any air droplets they release won't get to you. This is only effective if you combine it with a mask and washing hands.

Limit Hand Contact on Your Face

Because viruses end up on the hands a lot, you need to be conscious not to touch your nose, eyes, or mouth too much. Touching your face is one way viruses go from your hands into your body.

Types of Respiratory Viruses

There are eight main groups of respiratory viruses. They are grouped because they share similar symptoms and infect the same body area. The most common types of viruses include :

• Parainfluenza viruses ;
• Respiratory Syncytial Virus ;
• Influenza virus, commonly known as the flu ;
• Coronaviruses such as SARS, COVID-19 ;
• Adenoviruses ;
• Rhinovirus ;
• Boca Viruses ;
• Metapneumovirus.

Conclusion

Respiratory viruses are prevalent and infect thousands of people on a global scale every year, but there are ways to protect yourself and your loved ones. Remember to practice virus prevention tactics and combine them with wearing a mask for maximum effectiveness. If you get infected, see a healthcare professional immediately.

With extensive research and study, Simon passionately creates blogs on divergent topics. His writings are unique and utterly grasping owing to his dedication in researching for distinctive topics.