Name: Advice for dealing with seasonal viruses during the holidays
Uploaded: 2025-11-29T02:03:38.709Z
Duration: 2 min 37 s
Description: Americans are navigating seasonal viruses as they come together for the holidays. Dr. Céline Gounder, an internist, epidemiologist and infectious disease specialist, joins CBS News with more.

Americans are navigating seasonal viruses as they come together for the holidays. Dr. Céline Gounder, an internist, epidemiologist and infectious disease specialist, joins CBS News with more.

Dr. Celine Gounder, a CBS News medical contributor, addressed the increase in seasonal viruses such as the flu, COVID, and RSV, noting that symptoms alone cannot distinguish between these illnesses and that testing is necessary for accurate diagnosis. She emphasized that it is not too late to receive flu or COVID vaccinations, as cases are expected to rise in the coming months, and recommended vaccination for those who have not yet received it.

Dr. Gounder also provided advice on alcohol consumption during the holidays, highlighting that moderate drinking is defined as one drink per day for women and two for men. She cautioned that there is no completely safe level of alcohol intake, as any amount can increase health risks, and advised individuals not to exceed their usual consumption during holiday celebrations.

Advice for dealing with seasonal viruses during the holidays

is the season for sickness. Everything from common colds to the flu and covid are going around and the CDC estimates there have been at least 650,000 cases of the flu. Just this season of those 7400 have led to hospitalizations. Let's bring in Dr Celine Gounder. She's a CBS News medical contributor and editor at large for public health at KFF Health News. Dr Gounder. Good to be with you. Happy holidays. But not so happy of a story. Is there a way to tell the difference between a cold, the flu or covid? Tom, there is not. I am an infectious disease specialist. I cannot tell you based on your symptoms alone. If you have covid the flu or R. S. B. The only way to know is to get tested. You can pick up one of those tests at your local retail pharmacy. Um also go into urgent care uh or places like minute clinic. They can do that kind of testing. Don't dismiss uh symptoms as just allergies more likely than not. If you're having the sniffles this time of year, it is a viral respiratory infection. Yeah, you know this gives me anxiety every single year trying to decipher exactly what the heck I have whenever I'm feeling under the weather. But one thing to counter that is obviously to get a shot. So is it too late for people to get flu shots or the covid vaccine? It is absolutely not too late. We're just seeing flu cases starting to rise. So we're at the very beginning of the flu season covid. We had a wave late summer and into september. So we may have another month or two before we really start to see covid waves start to increase and we have seen R. S. V. On the increase. So this is actually the perfect time to get vaccinated for all three. If you haven't already uh for this season, you know, I want to take a hard pivot here to the other thing this season is known for for so many, which is knocking back a few drinks here and there. So what advice do you have for people who want to safely have an alcoholic drink during the holidays? Well look, unfortunately the data shows that moderate drinking for a woman is one drink a day and for men is two drinks a day. And I think that's a lot less than many people are used to consuming over the holidays. Unfortunately, there is no safe, truly safe level of drinking either. Um, we see an increase in risk with cardiovascular disease and cancer with any amount. What I generally say is just try to moderate as much as you can. Don't go beyond the level that you're normally drinking just because it's the holidays. Yeah, some good advice there. Dr Celine Gounder. We appreciate it. Happy holidays to you.

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