Preview of the Flu, Cold and COVID-19 Podcast

[00:00:00] I went to bed feeling fine, woke up in the morning and felt like I had a terrible head cold. Very congested.

[00:00:07] Thanks for listening to this preview of the Flu, Cold, COVID-19 Podcast, part of the Health Unmuted

[00:00:13] Audio Library by Mission-Based Media. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how important it is to learn

[00:00:19] about the viruses that can make us sick, as well as learning about how we can protect ourselves

[00:00:24] around us. In each episode of the Flu, Cold and COVID-19 mini series, we hear from medical

[00:00:30] experts and people with lived experience to engage, educate and empower listeners.

[00:00:35] To learn more about how you can be involved, visit HealthUnmuted.com or drop us a line at

[00:00:41] info at HealthUnmuted.com. Enjoy the preview! Viruses are microorganisms that can spread inside

[00:00:49] a person's body to make them feel sick and they're nothing new. If you have the sore throat in the

[00:00:56] cough and it's bothersome, but you're still able to go to work and run errands, it's likely

[00:01:02] the common cold. If you have these symptoms and you were fine one minute and suddenly you start

[00:01:10] to feel achy and sore throat and cough and all you want to do is go home and curl up in a

[00:01:16] ball and sleep, that's probably the flu. But every year new viruses emerge and when new viruses

[00:01:22] present like existing viruses it can be hard to distinguish between them. Pre-pandemic we'd think

[00:01:28] ah is this a cold? Is it the flu? Now we've added a third. Is it COVID? It was March of 2020

[00:01:36] and I didn't necessarily think anything was wrong at first. I started to get a little bit

[00:01:41] of a common cold symptom. It was just a runny nose and coughing and tested and it was COVID.

[00:01:49] In episode two we explore symptoms. If you have symptoms first thing I would do is take a COVID test.

[00:01:57] I thought well I'll just go ahead and test because it did come on very suddenly

[00:02:02] and then surprise, surprise I tested positive. Early detection is key when it comes to flu or

[00:02:11] COVID because we actually have treatment options. There are antivirals that can be prescribed and

[00:02:17] that you can take that will decrease the severity and the duration of your illness. In episode three

[00:02:24] we discuss ways to stay protected. The best thing we can do is prevent illness. Wash your hands,

[00:02:32] stay well hydrated, get good nutrition and rest. I'm a middle school science teacher and

[00:02:39] we talked a lot about how the things that we were doing for COVID were many of the things we should be

[00:02:44] doing anytime and during cold and flu season. It's the same thing that spreads the cold and flu as

[00:02:50] COVID. When it comes to the flu in COVID-19 there's one prevention method that works best of all.

[00:02:57] The most important message I can give is to get vaccinated. I always get the flu vaccine

[00:03:03] each year and the COVID vaccine I've had the first second and then I had the booster.

[00:03:10] Vaccines don't just protect the person who gets it. We're not just protecting ourselves

[00:03:15] but we're also protecting our friends and loved ones because we're not bringing that virus to them.

[00:03:22] The flu shot that you get is likely going to protect your elderly family member even more

[00:03:28] than the flu shot that goes in their own arm. And later in the series we review some of the

[00:03:33] questions that are frequently asked about flu and COVID vaccines. Many people wonder can you get

[00:03:40] the flu and COVID vaccines at the same time? The way our immune system works is that you can

[00:03:48] take multiple vaccines all in one day and our body is able to safely and effectively build

[00:03:52] immunity. Code administration is nothing new it's something that we do routinely

[00:03:57] and we actually encourage it might as well if it's flu season get flu vaccine it's time for

[00:04:02] your COVID booster your COVID booster. Get all your unmet vaccines needs met in the same day.

[00:04:09] I got my first COVID vaccine in March of 2021 and then just recently I went back and got

[00:04:18] my booster and the flu shot and I did get them both in the same day now I am feeling

[00:04:25] nice and protected for the winter.