Several respiratory tract infections are going around – keep these five ways to reduce infections in mind also during the holidays

Viruses and bacteria that cause respiratory tract infections are currently circulating widely in Finland. The influenza epidemic, for instance, is starting and the number of COVID-19 cases is on slight increase. Fortunately, the precautions to avoid infections are still valid – also during Christmas.

The influenza epidemic is starting in Finland, and the number of RSV cases has increased. The number of COVID-19 cases has also increased slightly, although so far we have not seen a peak in cases like last year.

There have also been significantly more diagnosed mycoplasma, whooping cough and adenovirus infections than in previous years.

There are many ways to avoid respiratory tract infections, such as: 

• Take the recommended vaccinations – they are the best way to protect yourself against severe forms of the diseases.  
• Stay at home while sick. 
• Wash your hands, use hand sanitiser and cough and sneeze into your sleeve – the best way to avoid respiratory tract infections is to take care of hygiene.  
• Assess your own risk, use a mask if necessary and keep a distance from others.  
• Ensure good ventilation.  

“To prevent infections, it is important to stay at home and not visit others during Christmas if you are ill. By doing this, everyone can protect at-risk groups and the elderly,” says THL Chief Physician Leif Lakoma. 

Respiratory tract infections are all treated in the same way 

You can rarely tell the cause of an infection by the symptoms alone. In most cases, treatment according to the symptoms and rest are sufficient.

If your general condition deteriorates or your symptoms are severe or getting worse, you should contact health care services, as is the case with all illnesses. For young children who are not fully vaccinated and who have been exposed to whooping cough, it is important to seek treatment quickly.

Antiviral drugs may also be used to treat influenza and coronavirus infections, based on a doctor's assessment. The key to their use is that treatment can be started early enough.  
If bacterial infection is suspected, antibiotics can be considered as necessary. In adults, mycoplasma infections and whooping cough usually resolve on their own and treatment is mainly focused on managing the symptoms.

You can return to work, school and day care when the symptoms have clearly subsided and any possible fever is gone. For a child, it is a good idea to wait until the child is able to participate in lessons or early childhood education and care activities.

In viral infections, communicability often begins even before the onset of symptoms and decreases after the symptoms begin. Sneezing and coughing may continue for a long period but do not prevent returning to, for example, work, school or day care.

It is not too late to get the influenza vaccine

It is estimated that the vaccination coverage of Finns against influenza will be somewhat lower than last year across all age groups. It is still advisable for those in the target groups of the vaccination to get the influenza vaccine as the peak of the epidemic usually occurs after the year changes. You can still get vaccinated during the epidemic, and it takes about two weeks for the vaccine to work. 

The coronavirus vaccination coverage of those in risk groups is good. More than two thirds of those aged 80 and above and roughly a half of those aged 65 to 79 have received the autumn booster dose.  

More than one third of pregnant women have already got the dtap vaccine with the pertussis component to protect their newborn from pertussis (whooping cough).

In addition, wellbeing services counties have recommended that newborns and children under the age of 1 in certain risk groups should be protected with a monoclonal antibody against the disease caused by RSV. Reliable data on vaccine coverage is not yet available to THL.

Additional information

Preventing respiratory tract infections (THL)

Self-care of respiratory tract infections (Terveyskylä, in Finnish)

Communicable Disease Control Physician
THL
tel. +358 (0)29 524 8557 
[email protected] 

Leif Lakoma
chief Physician
THL
Tel. +358 (0)29 524 7898
[email protected]