Got a question? Fill out this form to submit your anonymous question to be answered in a future column.
Dear Miriam,
This winter has been the worst! Every other week, someone in my family has another illness. In the absence of real medical guidelines for what to do in every possible scenario, how can I keep myself and everyone in my household as sane and as healthy as possible?
Signed,
February is for Flu
Dear Flu,
I have a lot of not-that-helpful platitudes for you: wash your hands, cover your cough, throw away your tissues, change toothbrushes and wash towels, and teach your kids to do all of the above. Good habits like these are a great idea! But they won’t prevent every cold, flu, stomach bug, or other ailments that are positively everywhere, especially if any of you ever plan to leave the house and be around other people.
It’s a real lifestyle choice to establish family habits around hygiene. Model for your kids that you wash your hands every time you come home, whenever you use the bathroom or blow your nose, and always before you eat. Model decision-making around getting medical advice and seeking medical attention when needed. Talk about germs and how they spread and how to contain them. Get vaccinated.
Beyond these things that are known to work, your best bet is to be realistic. What are your contingency plans when someone needs to stay home from school or work? Are there ways to set up your home to be at least mildly conducive to keeping sick people away from healthy people? Can you keep your house stocked with tissues, wipes, and over-the-counter medications? Who is your support system if you need additional help?
There’s a lot to stay about staying home when you’re sick, masking, post-pandemic trauma, and the pressures that many are under to get back to work or school. There’s perhaps even more to say about the lack of adequate sick leave, unaffordable healthcare, and the childcare crisis. All of those are in the background of your question, but the primary focus is still on how you and your family can get through this season. Honestly, it may not be easy, and it sounds like it already has been challenging. But hopefully, some combination of rest, soup, good luck, good humor, patience, and care will get you through until spring.
Be well,
Miriam