10 Tips To Protect You And Your Family Against Flu
10 Tips To Protect You And Your Family Against Flu. Winter is here, and so is the flu season. Flu is a highly contagious disease, and in some cases it can lend a person in hospital. With flu, the good thing is, one can be able to prevent it from attacking them. Try the following tips, because it is always better be safe than sorry.
1. Get Vaccinated
When you get a flu vaccination, your body releases antibodies that can protect you from the most common virus strains in any given season. Although winter is already here, it’s not too late to get one now the virus can continue to spread until August.
2. Stay away from anyone who’s coughing or sneezing
The flu virus is a parasite that hangs around in respiratory secretions that travel through the air in small droplets; when projected by a cough or sneeze, they can fly about three feet before gravity takes over. A flu patient who’s actively projecting these droplets by coughing or sneezing can contaminate the air you breathe.
3. Keep your hands away from your Face
Simply touching a contaminated surface won’t give you the flu, since the virus doesn’t infect the skin, it has to make it to a mucosal membrane in your mouth or nose to cause an infection. But you risk getting sick when you touch an infected surface and transfer the virus to your face.
4. Clean Communal Surfaces At Least Once A Day
The flu virus can remain viable without a host for about 24 hours. In general, all household surfaces are going to be contaminated with the flu virus if you’re living with someone who has the flu. It’s why you should wipe down commonly-touched surfaces. This include phone chargers, fridge handles, and light switches at least once a day using any standard household cleaner.
5. Wash your hands after touching any communal surfaces
Touch a light switch? Communal keyboard? Water cooler? Whether you’re in a public place or in your home, it’s smart to wash your hands after handling any commonly-touched surfaces using soap and water afterward. Lather up for at least 20 seconds, then rinse under water, and air dry or pat dry with a clean towel.
6. Wear surgical gloves when caring for someone who’s sick
In clinical environments, doctors and nurses wear disposable surgical gloves and masks to avoid contact with contaminated secretions and surfaces. If you’re not prepared to suit up at home, frequent hand-washing is your next best bet when you’re around anyone with the flu.
7. Keep your lips off infected partners
The flu virus is contagious beginning the day before you experience your first symptom, any time a fever is present, and up to a week after the last symptom subsides. It’s carried in saliva, so kissing a flu carrier’s mouth or face is risky during this time..
8. Keep The Windows Closed
Although cracking a window next to your sneezing office neighbor might give you peace of mind since theoretically, it would help circulate out infected air chances are it won’t do much to protect you. FWIW, the flu virus’s outer coating hardens in cold, which helps it remain viable while passing between people.
9. Store your toothbrush out of sight
Otherwise, a communal toothbrush holder contaminated by an infected person’s toothbrush could transfer germs to your toothbrush, or an infected roommate’s rogue sneeze can contaminate your bristles with the flu virus, which can be transferred to your mouth.
10. Avoid sharing food with infected people
Although food doesn’t play a major role in spreading influenza, eating contaminated food, i.e., by sharing a plate or eating utensils with someone who’s infected, can potentially make you ill.