PHOENIX (Dec. 20, 2022) – Banner Health is providing tips to help the community stay healthy, seek the right care and reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses during the holiday season.
Respiratory illnesses, such as flu and COVID, have been on the rise in recent weeks. This has resulted in an influx of people seeking care at hospital emergency rooms and urgent cares.
Banner recommendations:
- If you are not experiencing a medical emergency, call your primary care doctor’s office, use Banner’s free online symptom checker or speak with a Banner nurse 24/7 to determine the right level of care for you. Many times, you can be seen via telehealth, your PCP or at an urgent care. These settings often have shorter wait times and are less expensive than emergency rooms.
- Staying home when you don’t feel well will help you to rest and recover while also not exposing others to your illness.
- Keeping hands clean can prevent 1 in 5 respiratory infections, such as a cold or the flu. By washing your hands frequently, you will reduce your risk of contracting and spreading viruses. Learn more about when and how to wash your hands.
- Vaccinating for the flu and COVID is the best way to protect yourself from severe illness. Find a vaccine location near you.
- Masking is extremely effective in preventing the spread of respiratory illnesses. If you are at high risk of severe illness from respiratory viruses, it is strongly recommended that you wear masks indoors when you are around others who could spread viruses to you. Those at high risk include young children, individuals 65 years and older, pregnant people and people with certain underlying health conditions.
About Banner Health
Banner Health is one of the largest, secular nonprofit health care systems in the country. In addition to 30 acute-care hospitals, Banner also operates an academic medicine division, Banner – University Medicine, and Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center, a partnership with one of the world’s leading cancer programs, MD Anderson Cancer Center. Banner’s array of services includes a health insurance division, employed physician groups, outpatient surgery centers, urgent care locations, home care and hospice services, retail pharmacies, stand-alone imaging centers, physical therapy and rehabilitation, behavioral health services, a research division and a nursing registry. To make health care easier, 100% of Banner-employed doctors are available for virtual visits, and Banner operates a free 24/7 nurse line for health questions or concerns. Patients may also reserve spots at Banner Urgent Care locations and can book appointments online with many Banner-employed doctors. Headquartered in Arizona, Banner Health also has locations in California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming. For more information, visit bannerhealth.com.
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