Flu is the most researched respiratory disease in winter; see how to protect yourself

The term “the flu ” is the most searched on the internet among the most common respiratory diseases in winter, according to a survey carried out by CNN on Google Trends. Compared to “cold”, “sinusitis”, “rhinitis” and “Covid-19”, flu leads searches mainly from February onwards, with the end of summer approaching and the arrival of autumn, and reaches its peak in May.

The survey compared search terms over the past two years. At some points, searches for “sinusitis” even surpassed searches for “flu,” such as in the period between January 15 and 21, 2023, and from July 30 to August 5 of the same year. For the rest of the period analyzed, “flu” remained the top search term. See the graph below:

The regions where “flu” was most searched for are Piauí (61%), Tocantins (57%), Roraima (57%), Maranhão (56%) and Acre (55%). Among the main searches related to the term are “flu vaccine”, “flu symptoms” and “flu medicine”. See below:

How to protect yourself from respiratory diseases in winter?

Winter increases the risk of respiratory diseases because lower temperatures favor the spread of viruses that cause infections such as flu, colds and Covid-19. In addition, it is common for people to be confined to closed and unventilated environments due to the cold, which increases the risk of transmission of these diseases.

According to experts consulted by CNN some precautions are essential to reduce the chances of contamination and worsening of respiratory diseases, such as:

• Keep environments ventilated;
• Reinforce hand hygiene;
• Keep your body hydrated;
• Avoid thermal shocks;
• Maintain quality sleep;
• Control stress;
• Maintain a balanced diet;
• Keep your vaccinations up to date, especially against influenza (flu virus) and Covid-19.

Learn how to differentiate the symptoms of flu and Covid-19