The tips and resources below will help protect you and others from respiratory viruses:

1. Wash your hands often. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub. Click here for tips on good handwashing practices.
2. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Germs can be spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with respiratory viruses then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
3. Stay up to date on vaccinations. Influenza, COVID-19, and pneumococcal pneumonia vaccines provide good protection against severe illness.
4. Wear a mask when indoors and in crowded places. Well-fitted masks like KN95s and N95s provide the best respiratory protection.
5. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. If you are in close contact with someone who is ill, wear a well-fitted mask and wash your hands frequently.
6. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces like doorknobs and keyboards at home and work.
7. Improve ventilation. Consider gathering outdoors or open windows when gathering indoors.
8. Practice healthy habits like get plenty of sleep, eat nutritious foods, manage stress, and if you smoke, try to reduce or quit.

Symptoms of respiratory virus infections most commonly include:

• Cough
• Fever
• Sore throat
• Runny nose or nasal congestion
• Hoarse voice
• Fatigue (lack of energy)
• Headache

Less commonly and depending on the virus, people with respiratory viruses may have swollen lymph nodes, diarrhea, vomiting, body aches, shortness of breath, conjunctivitis (pink eye), and loss of taste or smell.

In most cases, you cannot tell the difference between flu, COVID-19, RSV, and other respiratory viruses by symptoms alone because they have some of the same signs and symptoms. Specific testing is needed to confirm a diagnosis. A medical provider may order these tests to determine what treatment may be right for you.

If you are sick, stay home from work, school, and social events and separate yourself from others in your household as much as possible. You should stay home until your symptoms have improved and you have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without using fever reducing medications. Once you have been fever-free for at least 24 hours, take added precautions like wearing a mask around others for the next 5 days. Consider taking an at-home test for COVID-19 if you have access to one. Cover your coughs and sneezes with your elbow or a tissue. Rest and drink plenty of fluids. Over the counter medications that treat symptoms like headache, congestion, and cough may be helpful.

If you or your ill family member is at high risk for severe illness, contact your medical provider for additional guidance.

If an ill person has difficulty breathing, call 9-1-1 or seek medical attention immediately.

Regardless of what virus is making you sick, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you stay home until your symptoms improve and you have been fever-free for at least 24 hours. Your fever should be gone without the need to use a fever-reducing medicine. Until then, you should stay home from work, school, travel, shopping, social events and public gatherings, except to seek medical care. Once you have been fever-free for at least 24 hours, take added precautions like wearing a mask around others and staying away from infants and medically fragile people for the next 5 days.

Contact your regular medical provider for guidance about when testing is right for you. For COVID-19, you should consider testing:

• If you have symptoms, even if you are up to date on your COVID-19 immunizations, or
• If you have been around someone with symptoms of COVID-19 or who has tested positive for COVID-19, or
• If you have been advised by a local health department or your employer that you should be tested.

You may also want to consider a COVID-19 test before visiting loved ones who live in a care facility, before and after traveling, and before and after gathering with family and friends.

There are no over-the-counter tests for most respiratory viruses. Most tests for influenza, RSV, and other non-COVID19 respiratory viruses must be ordered by a medical provider. There is an over-the-counter test for influenza, but it can be expensive and hard to find. Contact your medical provider for advice on what testing might be appropriate for you.

Some medical providers offer rapid testing for influenza, COVID-19, RSV and other respiratory viruses in their offices. Other medical providers will write a prescription that needs to be taken to a local commercial laboratory like Quest or LabCorp.

At-home COVID-19 test kits can be purchased at retail pharmacies. Over-the-counter kits that test for both COVID-19 and influenza can be found at some pharmacies. These combined tests may be hard to find, expensive, and not covered by your insurance. Currently, there are no at-home test kits for RSV.

There may be a cost for testing. Some insurances cover the cost of testing in a provider office or laboratory, as well as the cost of purchasing at-home COVID-19 test kits. Others require that you pay for some or all of the cost of testing. Check with your insurance provider to see what costs are covered by your plan.

If you do not have insurance, there are still a few no-cost COVID-19 testing locations. Visit the CDC’s no-cost testing website and enter your ZIP code to find a location near you.

Community Health Centers also offer no- and low-cost testing for qualifying individuals including Medi-Cal members. Make sure to call ahead to ask about pricing and schedule an appointment.

Medi-Cal members are eligible to receive up to 8 free COVID-19 home test kits per month at local participating pharmacies. Click here or check with your pharmacy or managed care plan for directions on how to receive these free test kits.

Antibiotics do not work against viruses. If you have a mild illness, you can treat the symptoms of a viral infection at home with pain relievers, rest, and drinking fluids.

If you are at high risk for complications of COVID-19 or influenza, your medical provider might prescribe anti-viral treatment. Anti-viral medications can reduce the length and severity of illness if they are taken within a few days of when you first have symptoms. You will need a prescription from a medical provider to get these medications at a pharmacy. In some cases, your medical provider may be able to see you using a video interface, or he/she may require that you come into a medical office before prescribing an anti-viral medication.

The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older receives at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine that has been updated for the 2024-2025 winter season. Check with your regular medical provider to schedule a vaccination appointment, check with your local pharmacy, or go to www.Vaccines.gov/ to find a immunization location near you.

The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older receives at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine that has been updated for the 2024-2025 winter season. Being "up to date" depends on your age and the type(s) of COVID-19 vaccination you have received. Visit the CDC's website https://www.cdc.gov/covid/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html to determine if you are up to date.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. RSV can cause illness in people of all ages but may be especially serious for infants and older adults.

The CDC recommends one dose of RSV vaccine for all infants younger than 8 months, born during – or entering – their first RSV season (typically fall through spring). For a small group of children between the ages of 8 and 19 months who are at increased risk of severe RSV disease, such as children who are severely immunocompromised, a follow up dose is recommended in their second season.

The CDC recommends adults 60 years and older may receive a single dose of RSV vaccine, based on discussions between the patient and health care provider.

RSV vaccine may be given at the same time as other vaccines.

Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every season, with rare exceptions. Vaccination is particularly important for people who are at higher risk of serious complications from influenza. A full listing of people at higher risk of developing flu-related complications is available.

Flu vaccination has important benefits. It can reduce flu illnesses, visits to doctor’s offices, and missed work and school due to flu, as well as make symptoms less severe and reduce flu-related hospitalizations and deaths.

Vaccinations are offered at many medical offices, clinics, and pharmacies. Call your or your child’s regular medical provider to see if they offer immunizations. To find a pharmacy or community clinic offering immunizations, go to the My Turn or Vaccines websites and enter your ZIP code or city.

You can also text your ZIP code to 438829 or call 1-800-232-0233 to find a location near you.

County of Monterey Health Department's Public Health Bureau is also hosting a series of no-cost flu immunization clinics in the community. Visit our influenza website for dates and locations.

Except for special circumstances, medical providers and pharmacies can charge for vaccination services. Cost is dependent on clinic fees, insurance coverage, and participation in special programs like Vaccines for Children (VFC). Some insurances cover the cost of routine vaccinations like COVID-19 and influenza. Check with your insurance provider to see what your immunization benefits include.

For adults and children with Medi-Cal, COVID-19 vaccinations are usually covered at no cost. VFC providers may charge a small administration fee. VFC providers may not deny vaccination services to VFC qualifying children if families cannot afford to pay the administration fee.

Adults who do not have insurance can get a no-cost COVID-19 vaccine through the California's Bridge Access Program. No-cost vaccines for uninsured adults will be available at participating Walgreens and CVS pharmacies, as well as at participating community health centers throughout Monterey County. To find a location near you, visit the Vaccines websites and enter your ZIP code or city. Look for "Bridge Access Program Participant" under the pharmacy name to find a participating provider.

Consider wearing a mask in public when respiratory viruses are circulating in your community. You may also want to mask on public transportation including airplanes, when visiting loved ones who live in care facilities, when in contact with newborn infants, and when visiting with friends and family who have health conditions that place them at high risk for severe illness.

If you are sick, it is recommended that you wear a mask for 5 days after your fever ends and you start feeling better. If you have been in close contact with someone who is sick, consider wearing a mask for the next 5 days.