Tips to stay healthy during cold and flu season

Ways to Stay Healthy During Flu Season

 

The best way to reduce the risk of seasonal flu and its potentially serious complications is to be vaccinated every year, but good health habits, such as avoiding people who are sick, covering coughing, and washing your hands frequently, can help stop the spread of germs and prevent respiratory illnesses like the flu. There are also influenza antiviral drugs that serve to prevent and treat illness.

 

The tips and resources below offer you steps you can take to protect yourself and others from the flu and help stop the spread of germs.

 

·        Avoid close contact.

·        Avoid close contact with people who are sick. If you are sick, keep your distance from other people to prevent them from getting sick too.

·        Stay home if you are sick.

·        If possible, stay at home, school, and avoid running errands when you are sick. This will help avoid spreading the disease to others.

·        Cover your nose and mouth.

·        Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. This way you can prevent those who are close to you from getting sick. Influenza viruses are spread primarily through airborne droplets that are produced by coughing, sneezing, or talking.

·        Wash your hands.

·        Washing your hands frequently will help protect you against germs. If soap and water are not present, use an alcohol-based hand cleaner.

·        Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.

·        Germs can spread when a person touches something contaminated with germs and then touches their eyes, nose, or mouth.

·        Practice other good health habits.

·        Clean and disinfect the most common contact surfaces at home, at work, or at school, especially when someone is sick. Get a good night's sleep, stay physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious foods.

Preventing Influenza at Work and School

 

At school

·        Learn about your child's school, child care program, or vocational school plans in case an outbreak of influenza or other illness is detected, and whether those institutions provide flu vaccines.

·        Make sure your child's school, child care program, or vocational institute regularly cleans frequently touched objects and surfaces and has an adequate supply of tissues, soap, paper towels, alcohol-based hand sanitizers, and disposable wipes.

·        Ask how sick students and staff members are separated from others, and who will take care of them until they can return home and inquire about absenteeism policy for sick students and staff.

 

At work

 

·        Learn about your employer's plans if an outbreak of influenza or other illness occurs and if you can get flu shots at your workplace.

·        Clean frequently touched objects and surfaces daily, including doorknobs, keyboards, and phones, to remove germs.

·        Make sure your workplace includes an adequate supply of tissues, soap, paper towels, alcohol-based hand sanitizers, and disposable wipes.

·        Explain to others how to do your job so they can cover it in case you or a family member gets sick and has to stay home.

·        If you start to feel unwell in your workplace, retire home as soon as possible.