Cases of the flu are high throughout the country.

Body aches, fever, chills and exhaustion are the unpleasant hallmarks of influenza, the common virus that has skyrocketed in the last few weeks.

Just like other seasonal viruses like norovirus and RSV, levels of the flu are high or very high in many parts of the US and the UK during this time of year. It’s unfortunately likely that you or a loved one will come face-to-face with influenza this season.

“We are right at the time of the year in which there’s a rapid rise in cases, certainly at the local level and the national level,” said Dr. Dawn Nolt, a paediatric infectious disease physician at Oregon Health and Science University.

Nolt added that cases of flu haven’t hit their peak yet, making it important to do what you can to stay healthy (like getting your flu shot and washing your hands thoroughly).

If you are one of the millions of people who come down with the flu this season, there are precautions you should take at the tail end of your infection to keep your loved ones healthy and yourself safe from other viruses. Below, doctors share what they personally do after they have the flu to protect themselves and others:

1. They make sure they’re truly better before going back to their normal lives.

As a physician, Nolt’s biggest fear is making someone else sick.

“We try to only return to work once we feel better [and] the fever is gone for 24 hours without taking any fever-reducing........

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