How to prevent the spread of sickness over the holidays

The holiday season is a time of friends, family and togetherness; however, with the many indoor gatherings and holiday parties also comes the risk of getting sick.

“Every year when the weather gets colder and everyone comes inside, and especially when we get to the holiday season and we have those large gatherings, we start to see respiratory illnesses spreading throughout our community,” said Dr. Joss Reimer, president of the Canadian Medical Association.

Reimer said some of the illnesses circulating at this time of year are influenza, RSV and COVID-19.

She suggests getting vaccinated, staying home when you're sick, and washing your hands to avoid spreading these viruses, especially to those who may be at higher risk.

“Most of us are just going to get a bit sick. It’s going to be annoying, taking us away from work or sports or other activities,” she said.

“But some people get really sick and end up in the hospital. We all know how stressed the hospitals are right now.”

Walking pneumonia

Earlier this fall, Canadian doctors were reporting a spike in cases of walking pneumonia—a bacterial pneumonia that often affects young kids and teenagers.

Reimer noted walking pneumonia tends to come in cycles every three to seven years.

“It doesn’t just affect young people; it can also affect older people,” she said.

“But the young people get more affected than what we usually think of.”

She said to speak to your doctor if you are experiencing a long-term fever, cough, and sore throat.

Measles outbreaks

Parts of Canada have also been seeing measles outbreaks, with the country seeing the highest number of cases since 2015.

Reimer described measles as a “tricky virus” because it spreads so easily.

She added that 90 per cent of those who are not immunized against measles will catch it if they are exposed.

“This is something that we need to make sure we’re protecting ourselves against,” she said.

“The great news is the vaccine is 99 per cent effective.”

Reimer said it’s important for everyone to get vaccinated against measles, noting that there are a lot of kids who are not currently caught up on their immunizations.

“That’s putting all of us at risk,” she said.

“Because while it’s 99 per cent effective that still means there’s going to be that one per cent of people who, even though they got vaccinated, could still get infected if they get exposed.”

Reimer noted that measles can be fatal for some children, adding that there’s been one death from measles reported in Canada this year.

• With files from CTV’s Rachel Lagace.