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With the start of the school year and the approach of fall and winter, Ohio health officials have issued both a warning and some encouragement. COVID-19 and its variants are not gone, and they are accompanied by flu and respiratory syncytial virus in what could be a deadly triple threat.
"COVID, it isn't gone, and we really do need to prepare ourselves for the upcoming fall and winter respiratory season, which will undoubtedly include COVID, influenza and RSV," Ohio Department of Health director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff said last week.
It's a frightening prospect, so let's not forget all that we have learned in recent years about staying healthy.
Remember the importance of frequent and thorough hand-washing or sanitizing. If you're not feeling well, get tested and keep your distance. Better yet, just stay home, if you are ill.
If you are so inclined and your physician recommends it, an updated COVID-19 booster vaccine expected to be available in late September or early October will target a strain of the virus closely related to the emerging EG.5 strain. Annual flu shots already are routine for many Americans. And now there is an RSV vaccine expected to be available as soon as October for infants younger than eight months. A vaccine already is available for eligible older adults. Check whether some or all of these vaccines should be part of your plan to keep you and your family healthier this winter.
The start of a new school year is always full of bright promise. Make plans to take precautions that could help keep the rest of the year brighter, too.