ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Lifestyle devider Health and Wellness devider How to stay free of the flu

How to stay free of the flu

Here are some tips to ensure you stay away from the influenza's influence

Published Dec 22, 2023 08:06 am

At A Glance

  • Wash your hands like you're washing your sins away.
  •  

As we enter the holiday season, it’s a time for joy and cheer. But it always pays to play it safe, especially since flu cases appear to be on the rise. Flu is a contagious respiratory illness that can affect anyone, young and old. To stay healthy this Christmas season, here are some tips to combat the flu.

vaccinated.jpg

Get vaccinated.

Prevention is key. Your best defense against the dreaded flu is to make sure you’re up-to-speed with your vaccinations. Flu vaccinations have been proven effective in fending off flu-associated illnesses. According to research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu vaccines help prevent, “tens of thousands of hospitalizations each year.” It adds that, from 2019 to 2020, flu vaccinations prevented an estimated 100,000 flu-related hospitalizations.

handwas.jpg

Always wash your hands.

Wash your hands like you’re washing your sins away. Practicing good hand hygiene helps fend the flu away as frequent handwashing removes germs gathered from public spaces. Soap and water remain the top way to keep your hands clean. If soap is unavailable, you can opt for using hand sanitizer.

healthy lifestyle.jpg

Keep a healthy lifestyle.

Having an active and healthy lifestyle helps keep the immune system strong. By feeding our body greens and exercising daily, we can give our body the proper nutrients it needs. Getting the right amount of sleep is also crucial, as rest allows our body to restore and rejuvenate itself. 

hydrated.jpg

Stay hydrated.

Don’t wait for your lips to dry up and beg for water before grabbing a drink. Always make sure to stay hydrated to ensure your body’s immune system remains strong. It’s ideal to keep a water jug on hand to make sure you always have water on hand. Avoid sugary drinks as it will increase your thirst. 

cleaning.jpg

Keep your surroundings clean.

Germs thrive in dirty surroundings. To ensure you keep yourself safe from the nasty diseases these germs carry, always clean up after your mess. Disinfect any surfaces using bleach or other disinfectant products available in the market. Never leave spilled liquids or food scraps lying around. Don’t forget to practice proper hygiene as well, as keeping your surroundings clean starts with keeping yourself clean.

vitamins.jpg

Take vitamins and supplements.

To ensure our body remains at its peak condition, a steady dose of vitamins and supplements can help boost our immune system. Ideally, you’ll want a healthy amount of vitamins A, C, D, and E to keep you strong. Of course, above all, consult a health official to see what might work best for you.

 

Related Tags

flu season Manila Bulletin Lifestyle Poch Eulalia
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.