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Sep 15
2020

Preventing the Seasonal Flu

Posted by Scott  filed under Flu

No one wants the flu. The flu comes with symptoms like headaches, vomiting, fatigue, and fever, and worse than this, catching the flu could be deadly. The CDC estimates that thousands of people die of the flu every year, making prevention techniques vital. The best prevention strategy is to make sure you and your children get vaccinated every year, but there are some other ways to avoid catching and spreading the flu:

  1. Keep your distance from people who are sick, or you risk catching it from them.
  2. If you do get sick, stay home from work or school and don’t go out to run errands, to avoid spreading the flu to others.
  3. Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. Flu and other respiratory conditions can be spread by coughs and sneezes.
  4. Wash your hands. Washing your hands can protect you from germs, and it will prevent any germs from spreading to other people. You should wash your hands:
    • Before and after preparing food
    • Before and after eating food
    • After using the bathroom
    • After touching garbage
    • After coughing or sneezing
    • After playing with animals or cleaning up animal waste
  5. Keep your living and work spaces clean. You should disinfect places that are touched frequently. such as desks, sinks, drawers, doorknobs, keyboards, phones, or kitchen counters, and you should be especially vigilant if someone who touches these areas gets sick.
  6. Practice other healthy habits, like:
    • Getting enough sleep each night
    • Eating nutritious foods
    • Staying physically active
    • Drink plenty of water
    • Manage your stress
    • Maintain a healthy diet.

References:

Rourke, Matt. (2018). CDC: 80,000 people died of flu last winter in U.S., highest death toll in 40 years. Retrieved from: https://www.statnews.com/2018/09/26/cdc-us-flu-deaths-winter/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Preventing the Flu: Good Health Habits Can Stop Germs. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/habits/index.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Flu Season. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/season/index.html

Lane, Liz. How Often Should You Actually Wash Your Hands? Retrieved from: https://www.insideedition.com/how-often-you-should-actually-wash-your-hands-50697