Pravdaogrippethe cold-and-flu season without panic: a guide to flu and colds

An independent guide to flu and colds. It does not replace a doctor, does not diagnose, and does not prescribe or evaluate medicines; it has no connection with the former site on this domain. In an emergency, call 112 in Russia (or your local emergency number).

Sources

Sources and limitations

On this page we explain where the information in the guide comes from, where its limits lie and how to get the most out of it. If you want to know whether you can trust what you have read on the site, start here.

The guide helps you ask the right questions. Answers about your own health can only come from a doctor.

— Editor's note

Where our information comes from

The guide is based on the World Health Organization's fact sheet on seasonal influenza. It is the source of the information on how flu spreads, how it usually runs, who is in the higher-risk groups and why WHO recommends a flu jab every year.

We also take into account general and seasonal recommendations from Russian health authorities on preventing flu and other respiratory infections. We put them in our own words and in general terms, without replacing the original source. For advice that applies where you live, check with the health authority of your country.

We do not give specific timings, schedules or figures, apart from the few stated directly in the WHO fact sheet. The only phone numbers on the site are emergency numbers: 112 works throughout Russia, and an ambulance can also be called on 103. Outside Russia, use your local emergency number.

Sources

  • WHO — Influenza (seasonal) fact sheet
  • Russian health authorities and the health authority of your country — general recommendations
  • Russian public health authorities — seasonal recommendations

What the guide does not do

We do not diagnose, we do not match remedies to symptoms and we do not prescribe treatment. We do not name or evaluate medicines or active ingredients, and we do not write about how much to take or how. All of that is the job of a doctor who sees the person and knows their medical history.

We do not present ourselves as a clinic, a pharmacy or a government body, we do not promote medical organisations, and we do not publish rankings, prices or reviews. The guide has no connection with earlier websites on this domain and does not reproduce their content.

  • Research

    How to read flu news and bold promises about “miracle remedies” without losing your calm or your common sense.

  • Home care

    Caring for someone who is ill without medicines: rest, fluids, fresh air, their own cup and towel, and close attention.

  • Glossary

    Flu and cold vocabulary in plain English, from incubation period and strain to placebo and sick note.

  • Topics

    Flu, other respiratory viruses, lingering coughs, the flu season and risk groups, topic by topic, plus our article catalogue.

Sources

  • WHO — Influenza (seasonal) fact sheet
  • Russian health authorities and the health authority of your country — general recommendations
  • Russian public health authorities — seasonal recommendations

This page is based on general information about seasonal flu available at the time of writing. Advice is updated every season, so check with your doctor what is right for you and your family.