Seasonal Flu Resource Center Blog
Mind Your Manners this Flu Season & Follow ‘Flu Etiquette’
With the impending flu season right around the corner, there are simple steps you can take to keep you and your family healthy this flu season. We blogged last week about high-risk groups as highlighted by the CDC, including the recommendation that everyone six months of age and older receive a flu shot for the 2010—2011 flu season. The flu shot is the most effective way to protect yourself against flu, but there are also other steps you can take in conjunction with getting vaccinated that offer additional protection against flu. To guard yourself from an unpredictable flu season, Maxim Health Systems recommends practicing these daily steps to minimize your, and your family’s, chances of catching or spreading the flu:
- Wash your hands frequently, and carry antibacterial gels or lotions with you this fall and winter
- Sneeze or cough into your arm or into a tissue, not your hands
- Always take the precaution of staying home from school or work when you have a cough or fever
- Don’t share foods, drinks, or utensils this flu season
- Use antibacterial wipes to clean objects in your home or office that come into contact with many people, i.e.- door knobs, telephones, computer keyboard, refrigerator/microwave handles, etc.
If you do catch the flu this season, stay home for at least 24 hours after any flu symptoms have subsided to avoid infecting others, and always keep in mind that a period of contagiousness lasts a lot longer than you would typically think. According to the CDC:
“You may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick. Most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5-7 days after becoming sick. Some people, especially children and people with weakened immune systems, might be able to infect others for an even longer time.”
Finally, the CDC’s number one recommendation for avoiding the flu this season? Make the time to get your flu shot. To learn more about getting a flu shot and to sign up for a reminder, visit www.findaflushot.com.
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