5 Important Ways to Build Immunity - ConsumerReports.org

Though mask-wearing and other precautions we've been taking throughout the COVID-19 pandemic don't actually improve immunity, they can help protect you from exposure to viruses. "The flu essentially disappeared last year, which shows how effective these types of interventions are," says Fred Ko, MD, a geriatrician at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

And together, they can make a real difference. "While the flu vaccines are great, they still have some holes," says John Swartzberg, MD, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, Berkeley. "If you add masks, social distancing, and avoiding crowds, it really helps fill in those holes." Aside from needed vaccines, wearing masks in crowded indoor areas may be the most important step in preventing COVID-19 and flu, Swartzberg says. For example, older research found that wearing surgical masks led to roughly three times less aerosol shedding of the flu virus. In addition, avoid obviously sick people and wash your hands well and often.

Editor's Note: A version of this article also appeared in the January 2022 issue of Consumer Reports On Health.