Should Seniors Take Extra Precautions Against COVID-19 This Fall? Experts Weigh In

Health experts are urging seniors to isolate themselves socially to maintain their health during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the looming flu season, reports NBC's Today Show . Top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci last week announced that people needed to prepare to "hunker down and get through this fall and winter." Experts recommend that those who have underlying health conditions or are older than 60 should limit their social circle for the next few months. Among their concerns in addition to seniors' higher susceptibility to flu and COVID-19 is the expectation that indoor activity will increase as the weather gets colder — raising the virus' likelihood of spreading. "For those people who are in high-risk groups, it's important that the people that they're interacting with have some type of discussion about what types of activities other people are going to be doing," explained Amesh Adalja with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. He added that there is considerable overlap between people at risk for coronavirus and flu complications, while experts also advise that people at high risk for either ailments should get a flu shot. "In multi-generational households, I think not only seniors and people with underlying conditions ought to be concerned, the younger adults who live in the household should probably be extra mindful during the coming cold and flu season," added Columbia University Medical Center Professor S. Patrick Kachur.