MINNEAPOLIS — There is nothing worse than being sick over the holidays.
You spend all that time preparing, buying the gifts, doing the wrapping — only to get sick and not be able to enjoy it.
Whether it's by air or by car, AAA expects more than 115 million Americans to travel at least 50 miles over the holidays, a 2.2% jump over last year, and if you're one of them, the last thing you want is to be sick away from home.
Doctors say there are a few things you can do now to hopefully give you a happy and healthy holiday.
Dr. Beth Thielen is an infectious diseases physician at M Health Fairview.
"I would recommend doing some contingency planning in advance before it's a critical time,” Thielen says.
She recommends checking your insurance coverage now before you leave home.
"Investigating with your insurance carrier, what would it look like if I got care in another state? What would be in-network? I have definitely heard from patients who have come back with a surprisingly large bill for out-of-network care when they sought medical care while traveling,” Thielen says.
And have a back-up plan.
Thielen says a lot of hospitals and clinics are short staffed, especially over the holidays.
To avoid waiting hours in line she recommends making a list so you have options if someone in your family gets sick.
Also, consider virtual appointments and telehealth services to avoid going into a clinic altogether.
"I always tell people bring any medications that you take at a regular basis make sure you take plenty of a supply with you including enough to cover you for any additional time.”
Thielen says it's not too late to boost your immune system before the holidays.
She says the flu and COVID vaccines usually take two weeks to reach full effect, we are now less than 10 days from Christmas Day, but Thielen says there should be enough time to give your body at least some protection.
"People should be assured that if they get the vaccine today that they should have quite a bit of protection heading into the holiday season."
And when it comes to food at your holiday party think about germs.
Avoid large bowls where people dig in with their hands, and doctors say putting out a bottle of hand sanitizer or two might be a good idea so people can easily clean their hands before they start eating.
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