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Make This the Year You Finally Don’t Get a Cold

This is the sniffle-fighting advice top M.D.’s share with their nearest and dearest. Follow these tips and watch as a single box of tissues gets you all the way through winter.

Stand at least three feet away from someone who’s ill. “When a sick person sneezes, the cold virus can be propelled as far as three feet. If you come in contact with droplets of mucus and then touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, you’ve been exposed. So stand back! And remember that the cold virus can live on surfaces for up to 24 hours. Wash your hands carefully and as often as possible, and definitely after you’ve touched a keyboard or touch pad—two places people often forget can harbor the virus. When you’re washing, pay attention to your fingertips; they’re most likely to pick up the virus directly. It’ll make a huge difference in keeping you well.” —Winkler G. Weinberg, M.D., a board-certified infectious-disease specialist at Kaiser Permanente Cumberland Medical Center in Atlanta

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