Hand washing number 1 in preventing swine flu (N1H1. Even if you wash your hands frequently what should you do if you or a family member come down with swine flu?
Frequent hand washing is one of the easiest measures you can take to reduce your chance of coming down with the flu. During the day we all touch dozens of surfaces that may have the flu virus on them: doorknobs, grocery cart handles, computer mouse and keyboards, cell phones and telephones the list is endless.
Wash your hands with hot soapy water, dry with a paper towel and throw the towel away. When in public restrooms, be careful of the surfaces you touch. If the restroom has a hot air hand dryer use that instead of paper towels.
If soap and water isn't available use an alcohol based hand sanitizer.
It is important to instruct children in these preventive measures as well. Children come in contact with more potential sources of germs, including flu viruses than adults do. Their immune systems aren't as developed as adults so they get sick more often. Teaching your child to wash their hands often is one of the best ways to prevent them from becoming ill.
Having the swine flu or any other strain of flu is one instance where you must stay home from work, school or other social situations where you could spread the virus. Your recovery from the illness will be accelerated if you allow yourself plenty of rest, rather than trying to keep with your normal work schedule. If you must work while you are recovering, do it via computer or telephone from home and limit it to a few hours each day.
And do not travel on public transportation when you are sick. The confined space of an airplane, or bus, for example, makes it quite possible that an infected person will cough or sneeze near enough to other passengers to cause them to be infected.
If it's flu season, stay prepared. Make sure you have lots of fruit juice, light meals, and tissues on hand. Being sick and having to go to the store makes you feel worse and exposes others to your illness.
If a family member comes down with the flu, take steps to make sure it doesn't spread throughout the household. Frequently disinfect the bathroom surfaces, doorknobs or other areas the family member suffering from the flu may have touched. Keep their toothbrush separate from other family members'. Make sure family members don't accidentally share drinking glasses.
Any area the infected person may have touched or coughed or sneezed on must be disinfected as long as the person is contagious. Even something as routine as family members drying their hands with the same towel can be a means of spreading the virus. Use paper towels in the bathroom and kitchen. Keeping your home as germ and virus free as possible year round is one of the best ways to make sure the possibility of family members becoming infected is minimized.
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