GENERAL FLU FACTS and WHAT YOU CAN DO TO AVOID THE FLU
Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Try to stay away from areas where a lot of people may congregate such as malls, restaurants and movie theaters.
If you must go to heavily populated areas, use a facemask to decrease your chance of catching the virus.
Keep your distance from others if you are sick. Try to stay at least 3 feet away from people who are coughing or sneezing.
When possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick, and don’t send your children to childcare or school if they are sick. If you or your child have a fever you should not return to work, or your child return to school, until the fever has been gone for 24 hours without taking any medicine to reduce the fever.
Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. Cough and sneeze into the sleeve of your shirt, not into your hand. Remind your children to do the same.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing and sneezing. Practice good hand hygiene with your children as well and remind them to wash their hands when at school. Alcohol based hand gels can be used when soap and water is not available.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. You can catch the flu virus if you touch it with your hand and then touch your eyes, nose or mouth. This is important to remember when touching surfaces like light switches, doorknobs and countertops.
One of the easiest ways to avoid getting the flu is to get your flu shot. This year there will be two shots available; one shot for the seasonal flu and one shot for the H1N1 (swine) flu. Seasonal flu shots will be available at your physician’s office throughout the flu season. The recently approved H1N1 vaccine will soon be shipped to your physician’s office by the federal government. Please contact your physician’s office for more information and to schedule an appointment for these very important vaccines.
For self-screening influenza questions, CLICK HERE.
