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Tips for Staying Healthy and Avoiding COVID

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Besides getting vaccinated, be sure to boost your immune system, use these tips while traveling, and learn how to tell the difference between COVID and other illnesses

By Shelby Toth

Avoiding Covid-19 is still important, even as cases in Florida trend downwards. To help ensure that you can avoid the virus as much as possible and stay healthy, here are four tips that you should keep in mind.

1. Get Vaccinated

Getting vaccinated is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your loved ones from the virus, and the importance of vaccination cannot be overstated. All of the vaccines are completely safe, and while there are some side effects, such as fatigue and low fever the day after in some individuals, these side effects could be the difference between slight discomfort and a life or death situation.

Although about 59% of the Florida population is fully vaccinated, there are still some people who feel uncertain about the vaccines. If you have any questions or feel wary, don't hesitate to speak to your primary care provider for more information. They will be glad to answer any questions you have about the vaccines to help put your mind at ease.

2. Take Care While Traveling

Over 9.9 million families own timeshares, and since most vacations were postponed last year, it's likely you may want to travel this year. However, it's important to take care to either vaccinate yourself or take a Covid test before you leave and after you get back to ensure that you won't be at risk of spreading the virus.

RT-PCR tests can detect even exceedingly tiny amounts of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, as little as ~1000 copies of viral RNA material per milliliter. Having a PCR test before traveling and after returning is highly recommended for the unvaccinated, as is wearing masks consistently in public areas, social distancing, and frequently washing your hands.

3. Boost Your Immune System

Another tip for staying healthy is by taking care to boost your immune system by taking care of yourself. When possible, try to always get a good night's sleep, prioritize eating healthily, and stick to an exercise routine that works for you. Doing things like this can help keep your body as healthy as possible so that your immune system can be bolstered to fight any potential infections. [Another way to boost the immune system is with the help of natural pharmaceutical supplements, from Herb Pharm products for example. But, first, speak to your doctor.]

4. Learn the Differences Between Covid and Other Illnesses

While Covid is forefront in everyone's minds, there are still plenty of other things that can make you feel under the weather and it's important to learn how to tell them apart.

Cold symptoms, for instance, can last anywhere from 48 hours to 14 days, although most people recover in 10 days. The most common symptoms of a cold include a cough, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, and tiredness. Some of these overlap with Covid symptoms, and if you find yourself running a fever you should definitely quarantine yourself and get a Covid test as soon as possible. Additionally, if you experience any trouble breathing, you should seek emergency care as soon as possible.

Similarly, allergies can sometimes cause similar symptoms as well, though you will almost never experience a fever, muscle aches, or nausea if allergies are the cause. If you're experiencing sneezing and itchy eyes, it's most likely allergies, though you could still seek testing if you would like the peace of mind.

More difficult to tell apart is the seasonal flu, which can share a lot of the same symptoms, so much so that it can be nearly impossible to tell the difference without testing. If you experience any flu like symptoms, monitor yourself closely and isolate yourself as much as possible until you can get tested.

Staying Safe

These four tips are important to keep in mind if you want to avoid Covid and stay as healthy as possible. Keep in mind that even if you are vaccinated you should still wear a mask and social distance when possible. Hand washing is still important, and you should always wash your hands for at least 20 seconds before touching your face, mouth, or eyes.

By doing this, you can help stop the spread and keep yourself, your loved ones, and your whole community a little bit safer.

COVID-19, Differences, health, Illness, Immune System, tips, Traveling, Vaccination

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