How Maintaining Medications As Prescribed Can Help
Health officials warn that COVID-19, influenza (Flu), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) may all spread widely over the winter months, in what they are labeling a “tripledemic.” People at higher risk include those with certain medical conditions and adults over 65 years of age.
The respiratory virus RSV has been surging for weeks, sending kids to emergency rooms. And flu cases are exploding. Flu hospitalizations for this time of year are higher than they have been in a decade.
“A big part of the flu increase,” explains Scott Roberts, MD, a Yale Medicine infectious diseases specialist, “was our lack of immunity from having not been exposed to the virus for several seasons due to masking and other precautions, many of which have fallen to the wayside.”
10 Keys to Preventing Illness
Get your flu shot and make sure you are up to date on your COVID-19 vaccination, including the new bivalent booster.
Avoiding close contact with anyone who is sick
Staying home and keeping to yourself if you are sick
Wearing a mask around others
Covering your sneeze or cough
Not touching your face
Washing your hands with soap and water often
Using an alcohol-based sanitizer if you can’t use soap
Cleaning and disinfecting objects and surfaces often
Maintaining medications as prescribed for pre-existing / underlying conditions
Maintain Prescriptions Affordably
Health experts are unanimous that maintaining medications for underlying or pre-existing conditions is imperative to staying healthy and defending against COVID, the flu, and RSV. Discounts of 50-90% (compared to U.S. pharmacy prices) are available to U.S. citizens on the sale of pharmaceuticals and maintenance medications (but not controlled substances) in 30 to 90-day quantities from Canadian online pharmacies that are licensed and regulated by the government for safety and quality assurance.
How can you find one of these safe affordable pharmacies? We recommend choosing safe and accredited pharmacies like those approved by the Canadian International Pharmacy Association. These pharmacies have periodic inspections of all dispensing facilities and have robust safety and privacy protocols to ensure patient safety.
Are Vaccines Working?
CDC data shows people who have received four shots of the original COVID-19 vaccines, as well as the bivalent booster, were 57% less likely to visit an urgent care clinic or emergency room, regardless of age. Influenza (the flu) and COVID-19 are both viral illnesses for which prescription treatments and vaccinations are available. The flu vaccination will not protect you against COVID-19, and vice versa.
Tripledemic Treatments
Prescription treatments work best when you start them soon after symptoms start. So if you’re at high risk for severe illness, don’t wait to contact your healthcare provider. If you are in a high-risk group and feel symptoms coming on, speak with your healthcare provider sooner than later. Sometimes people can develop complications from the flu, such as pneumonia, which could require a stay in the hospital.