With the onset of late autumn, it becomes easier every day for viruses to infect others. People move into enclosed spaces, the air becomes drier, and ventilation is often insufficient. In such conditions, one trip in transport or several hours in the office is enough for the immune system to face a new dangerous challenge. How to reduce the likelihood of getting sick?
Let’s start, pay attention…
The autumn increase in incidence is explained by a combination of factors, each of which enhances the others:
- Decrease in temperature — cold weakens the local protective mechanisms of the mucous membranes.
- In enclosed spaces, viral particles circulate in the air longer.
- High density of contacts — the chance of receiving a “viral dose” becomes higher.
The peak traditionally occurs at the beginning of winter. Therefore, November is the time to think about prevention and prepare your home and household members to face the growing viral wave.
Vaccination: practical benefits
From a scientific point of view, the flu vaccine is a controlled training of the immune system. It takes up to three weeks for the body to form a protective response, so you should hurry. Vaccination does not provide 100% protection, but it significantly reduces the risk of complications.
Under the viral load
Once in the body, the virus uses cells to create copies of itself. At the initial stage, the viral load, as a rule, is not yet high, so direct-acting antiviral therapy works most effectively: it interferes with the processes that the virus needs to invade the cell.
Professor Andrey Prodeuschief pediatric allergist-immunologist of the Ministry of Health of the Moscow Region, notes that many stop antiviral treatment too early — as soon as relief appears. But the virus may remain active for several more days. Interrupting the course increases the risk of symptoms returning. From a practical point of view, this means only one thing: once treatment has begun, it must be brought to its logical conclusion.
First aid kit: functional antiviral kit
It is more convenient to prepare for the season in advance. The basic kit is reduced to simple but really useful tools:
- thermometer;
- nasal rinse solution;
- medications to relieve sore throat;
- antipyretic;
- means of maintaining air humidity
- antiviral agents with proven effectiveness.
Among the drugs with direct antiviral action used in Russian practice, Professor Prodeus highlights umifenovir, the active substance of Arbidol. As he writes infox.ruaccording to the clinical recommendations of the Ministry of Health, it is a first-line drug for the treatment of ARVI and can be used for post-exposure prophylaxis.
In a large international meta-analysis of studies of drugs recommended by WHO for the treatment of influenza published in January 2025) noted not only the favorable safety profile of umifenovir, but also its ability to reduce the duration of illness in mild influenza by more than a day. Professor Prodeus explains this by the mechanism of action of Arbidol: the drug blocks the fusion of the viral particle with the cell. And this is the key stage of infection.
Practical prevention
Modern research shows that behavioral measures remain one of the most effective tools for reducing risks.
The basic rules are simple:
- Ventilate the premises. This reduces the concentration of viral particles in the air.
- Use a mask in transport and crowded places, especially if someone is coughing nearby.
- Wash your hands frequently. The contact route of transmission is still significant.
- Watch your sleep and nutrition. The immune system requires energy to work — this is pure physiology.
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