by Maria Giovanna Faiella
During the holidays, meetings and moments of conviviality intensify. Swab for those with symptoms (even a few hours before going out). Still time to get vaccinated (to those recommended). Use of masks. Precautions at the table
During the holidays, meetings with colleagues, friends and relatives and moments of conviviality with lunches and dinners at Christmas and New Year intensify: how to protect yourself from flu and Covid and, above all, how to protect the people most at risk, i.e. the elderly and frail with previous chronic illnesses? What precautions to take? is it recommended to take a swab? Who should do it, and when?
Here are some tips with the help of Dr. Pietro Scanzano, medical director of the National Institute for Infectious Diseases IRCCS Lazzaro Spallanzani in Rome.
Protect the most fragile
What is the situation today?
We are now passing the fourth year of fighting Covid; if the first impact was devastating and the severity of the disease, combined with the scarcity of knowledge, technologies, drugs, vaccines and protective devices, made the entire population exposed to serious and even lethal consequences, today the situation has radically changed . It is important to protect the most fragile individuals, the elderly and the cancer population with immunosuppression, because for these people Covid and/or the flu can also have fatal consequences. These holidays obviously create family, emotional and recreational gatherings. But it is precisely this population that needs to be protected by creating a “multiple security perimeter” with vaccinations, masks and rapid home tests.
Anti-Covid swabs and do-it-yourself tests
There is a rush to the pharmacy to take an anti-Covid swab in the run-up to the holidays and to buy do-it-yourself tests that can also be done at home. Is it necessary to always do this? How long before Christmas dinner should it be done?
First of all, the swab must be done when there are respiratory symptoms. In the presence of symptoms, the test purchased at the pharmacy can also be done at home, before going out to dinner. In any case, it should be remembered that, as with all respiratory tract diseases, if you have respiratory symptoms such as cough and fever, it is a good idea to stay at home for treatment and also to avoid infecting people at risk of serious illness: frail, immunosuppressed oncological, elderly, unvaccinated or vaccinated with only the first doses of the vaccine, who can have consequences if they contract flu or Covid.
Masks
Should masks be used (and when)?
The use of masks recommended for caregivers, carers and fragile populations in case of continuous attendance in crowded places. But the same advice applies to the non-fragile population who have planned a period of cohabitation and meetings with fragile people.
Prevention at the table
At the table with our loved ones, can we take some other precautions to protect frail and/or elderly people?
If you are about to have a cough or sneeze, do it in the crook of your elbow, then wash your hands and face; if possible, it is advisable to get up from the table and go to cough or sneeze in another room, and then wash your hands and face.
Vaccinations
Can we still get vaccinated against flu and Covid-19? Who is recommended to?
Of course, there is still time to get vaccinated and it is best to do so immediately to prevent serious forms of the disease. Both vaccinations are strongly recommended for elderly people and those with high fragility due to pre-existing pathologies, which increase the risk of a serious form of Covid or flu. The strong recommendation is valid for cohabitants, caregivers and carers who, having contact with the outside world and with the fragile person, are often carriers of viruses. It is not an imposition, but a tool to protect loved ones and, in general, the most fragile, therefore an act of love. It should also be remembered that medicines for chronic diseases must be taken continuously and correctly, even during the holidays.
Groups of people most at risk
Based on the Ministry of Health Circular of 27 September 2023 Indications and recommendations for the 2023/2024 autumn/winter vaccination campaign against COVID-19 with subsequent additions (here and here) and the Ministerial Circular Prevention and control of influenza: recommendations for the 2023-2024 season (here) it is strongly recommended that groups of people at risk with chronic respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, oncological diseases – under treatment, for example, with immunosuppressive drugs -, diabetes, some neurological and neurodegenerative diseases, obesity, immunosuppressed patients due to congenital or acquired pathologies, transplant recipients or being treated with immunosuppressive drugs.
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December 22, 2023 (modified December 22, 2023 | 5:12 pm)
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