Getting sick is never fun, but navigating the flu in crowded New York City can be especially challenging, with limited space to isolate.
Yet there is an upside to getting sick in the five boroughs, where there’s an abundance of doctors and pharmacies, and restaurants that will deliver soup to your very stoop.
New York is experiencing a historic flu outbreak this season, with more than 70,000 new cases recorded statewide the week before Christmas. If you’re one of the unlucky New Yorkers stuck at home with the flu, here are some tips to get through your sickness.
Confirming you have the flu
There are a few ways to find out if you have the flu. You can test yourself at home with a kit that checks for COVID-19 and a couple of common strains of the flu. Several brands are available online and over the counter at different pharmacies.
You can also get tested at a local urgent care clinic. CityMD, which has locations across the five boroughs, allows you to make an appointment online or walk in for an unscheduled visit.
ou can see the estimated wait time for each location online. Check the hours before you go, because schedules can vary, especially during the holidays.
If you have a primary care physician, you can call your doctor and see if they recommend that you come in for testing and an evaluation. If you don’t regularly see a doctor, you can check with your insurer or a website like Zocdoc for a list of providers who are covered under your plan.
Dr. Andrew Wallach, ambulatory care chief medical officer at NYC Health + Hospitals, recommended that you get tested for the flu as soon as possible after you start to feel sick. He said antiviral medications like Tamiflu, which treat the flu, are most effective if taken within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms.
People who are not yet sick but face increased risk of serious illness, like the elderly, can also sometimes qualify for prophylaxis medications that help to prevent sickness, he said.
Wallach also said any New Yorker who feels sick can reach out to Health + Hospitals’ virtual ExpressCare, which offers telehealth consultations in more than 200 languages 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
To quarantine or not to quarantine
When you have the flu, isolating from others is the most reliable way to avoid getting anyone else sick. But in New York City, that’s not always an option.
If you live with others, Wallach said, wearing a mask in common spaces can help to prevent the spread of illness. He also recommended regular hand washing and maintaining a physical distance of three to six feet.
If you’re a parent and your child gets sick, masking and wearing gloves or regularly washing your hands can reduce your chances of catching the flu, said Dr. Amanda Kravitz, a pediatrician at Weill Cornell Medicine.
“ Not everyone wants to do that around their kid. But it does work,” she said. “I see kids with the flu all the time, and I wear a mask and gloves in my office, and so far I haven’t caught the flu.”
If your sick child can recover in a separate bedroom, Kravitz said, that’s ideal. But if they need to share a space with siblings who aren’t sick, she said, those who are old enough to mask can do so. She said parents should also regularly wipe down surfaces.
Fueling yourself — or your loved one — to feel better
Wallach and Kravitz both said hydration is a key component to recovery. Kravitz recommended lots of water, but also other fluids that contain electrolytes, like Pedialyte popsicles for younger kids and Gatorade for older children.
“ I usually tell parents, just get something into them. Even if that means giving them a little bit of juice, that’s not the end of the world,” she said, adding: “ Anything that they want to drink to make sure that they’re hydrating themselves is good.”
When asked whether soup is actually an effective medicine, Wallach confirmed the myth.
“ It is somewhat of an old wives’ tale,” he said. “However, it is rooted in science — and that is, if you eat soup, it’s going to help maintain your hydration status.”
Many New York City restaurants are available for soup delivery, whether you’re in the mood for ramen, pho, matzoh ball soup or ajiaco.
When it may be time for more serious treatment
Kravitz said she recommends that parents bring their child to the doctor if they continue to have a fever for more than four or five days, because they may also be sick with something other than the flu, like strep throat. The flu and COVID are just two of many illnesses circulating in New York this winter, according to city health data.
Kravitz said parents should consider seeking treatment for their kids at the hospital if they are struggling to breathe, have a high fever that leads to disorientation or are so dehydrated that they are not urinating on a regular basis.
For adults, it might be necessary to go to the hospital if you can’t keep fluids down or your fever persists even with fever-reducing medications like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, Wallach said.
If you’re not sick yet, it’s not too late to get the flu shot
If you haven’t gotten the flu yet and you haven’t been vaccinated, both doctors recommend getting the shot now.
“ It takes about two weeks for you to get full impact and protection from the vaccine,” Wallach said. “We have not yet peaked here in New York City, so you can still protect yourself by getting a flu shot.”
The city health department has a vaccine map where you can find sites offering the flu shot. Many pharmacies, urgent care clinics, doctors’ offices and hospitals offer the flu shot.
