DIY Network

How to Avoid Getting Sick During the Holidays

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By Jill Burcum
Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune

Consider the holidays from a germ's point of view. People are coming together in shopping malls and places of worship. They're gathering in homes, often hugging and kissing to celebrate, exchanging goodies and cooking up large meals for holiday dinners. It's a germ paradise, infectious disease experts say, with the increased contact and big meals providing ample opportunity for bugs to move from person to person. In fact, the influenza season usually peaks within a few weeks after late December's holiday hoopla.

Spreading holiday cheer doesn't have to mean spreading sickness. We asked these experts for tips on getting through the festivities without getting germs or giving them: Dr. Kristin Nichol, a flu researcher and chief of medicine at the Minneapolis Veterans Medical Center, Dr. Robert Tofte of Allina Health System, Minnesota epidemiologist Dr. Harry Hull, and Amy Priddy and Barbara Moran, infection-control practitioners at Park Nicollet Health System Minnesota.

Here's what they had to say:

• Hand washing.

  This was the tip mentioned first by everyone. "It sounds so simple, but it's still the best way to prevent infection," Priddy said. "Most of the germs that cause colds and food-borne illness are spread by hand-to-hand contact." Doing it correctly, however, isn't so simple. Most people, the experts said, don't wash their hands often enough. For the record, Priddy and others recommend it before preparing food, after using the bathroom, changing a diaper, wiping your nose and touching pets, or any other time it seems like a good idea.

  Most people also don't wash their hands properly, the experts said. Here's what the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends: Wet hands with warm water, lather up with soap (any kind will do), rub hands together briskly for 10 seconds (about as long as it takes to sing "Happy Birthday"), use a nail brush to scrub out whatever lurks beneath the nails, rinse and dry off with a paper towel.

• Get a flu shot.

  Don't go unprotected to holiday gatherings, where all it takes is a sneeze or a cough from an infected person for the flu bug to bite you. "Getting immunized is very important, particularly if you're in a group at high risk of (flu) complications," Nichol said.

  High-risk groups include: people over 65, those with weakened immune systems, residents of long-term care facilities with chronic illnesses, kids on long-term aspirin therapy, and women who will be in their second or third trimester of pregnancy during the flu season. The shot takes 10 to 14 days to provide full protection. With the flu season peak still a few weeks off, there's enough time for the shot to work this year, Hull said.

• Get enough rest and minimize stress.

  Easier said than done this time of year. However, both Priddy and Moran pointed out, getting enough sleep and finding ways to reduce stress help keep the immune system powered up and ready to fight off invading germs.

• Stay home if you're sick.

  It's common sense, and for most of the year, people are good about heeding this advice, the experts said. But during the holidays, it's tempting to forget about it in order to attend festivities. Don't, Nichol said, especially if you know that someone at the festivities is in one of the high-risk groups for flu complications.

• Avoid those who are sick.

  This is the flip side of the previous tip. And while it's good advice, even the experts admit it might be a little unrealistic. "So many of us are in contact with people now, it's difficult," Nichol said. "This is why it's important to be immunized (against flu)."

• Practice safe food handling.

  Another common-sense tip, it's nevertheless an easy one to overlook in the hustle and bustle that comes with preparing big holiday dinners, Priddy and Moran said. Use separate cutting boards for meat and vegetables and wash boards thoroughly. Promptly disinfect counters and other preparation surfaces. A tip from Moran and Priddy: If using a dishcloth for this, change it daily or put it in the dishwasher each day.

• Another tip:

  You don't need to buy special antibacterial products to disinfect the kitchen or the bathroom. "There's no science that says these kinds of products are any better at preventing infections than regular household products," Priddy said.

• Cook all foods, especially meat, thoroughly.

  Follow temperature guidelines in the cooking instructions, Priddy and Moran said. If a buffet-style dinner is in the works, keep cold food cold (below 40 degrees Fahrenheit) and hot food hot (above 100 degrees Fahrenheit), and refrigerate leftovers promptly.

• Remember what Mom said.

  Mom's adages are actually good advice for avoiding sickness at the holidays, Priddy and Moran said. These include not sharing eating utensils or cups with others, covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze and washing your hands afterward."

• Watch the alcohol.

  Drinking too much can lead to a lot of problems, Priddy and Moran said, including your overlooking all these tips to make sure you stay healthy while celebrating.