Many of the same precautions that works to prevent swine flu are the precautions you should be following to help prevent the spread of any disease.
Following these tips will help your family stay healthy, whatever the season.
- Wash your hands frequently. There’s no need to invest in special antibacterial soaps. Plain old soap and warm water will do the job effectively as long as you wash long enough. To help children understand how long to wash, have them recite their ABCs or sing the “Happy Birthday” song while washing.
- Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose, and mouth, places where germs can easily enter your body.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you are coughing or sneezing. Then discard the tissue, and wash your hands.
- Stay away from people who are sick, and if you are sick, stay away from people. This means avoiding people you know to be sick, and avoiding nonessential travel to areas where there are confirmed cases of the flu. If you suspect you are sick, avoid going to work, school, or shopping, or anywhere you could expose a large number of people to illness.
- If you suspect you have the flu, call your doctor as soon as possible. If you do have a viral infection, your doctor may be able to prescribe antiviral medication which will limit the duration and severity of flu symptoms, but these medications must be started quickly after the onset of symptoms to be effective.
