Advice To Help Reduce Your Chance of Getting the Flu
It’s Flu Season.
Here is some practical advice on keeping you and your family safe and healthy during our flu season. We can minimize the spread of the flu virus, which helps keep you and others safe and healthy.
Cover When You Cough
The influenza virus (the flu) are spread through droplets that are propelled into an area when you coughs and sneeze. Once the virus has left your mouth and nose, after a cough or sneeze, it can live for a couple hours on a surface thus infecting the next unsuspecting person.
If you have to cough or sneeze and don’t have tissue or hanky ready, cough or sneeze in your elbow. People teach this to their children all the time.
If everyone simply sneeze or cough into a tissue then we will all be better protected – simple and easy!
Minimize (or stop completely) Touching Your Face
In a study by the University of California Berkley, the average person touches their face 16 times per hour. The flu virus can live outside the body for several hours, so the next time you touch that door knob and then touch your face, you have a chance of contracting the flu. It is that easy to pick up germs without knowing it.
Think about it. How many times a day do you rub your eyes, wipe your nose or mouth, or perhaps even bite your nails? All of these actions can help the flu virus go from being outside to inside your body. Minimze the number of chances the flu has to enter your nasal, or throath passages and don’t underestimate that the eyes, which have mucous membranes can also allow a virus to enter your body.
Wash and Sanitize Your Hands
It is a good idea to wash your hands regularly. This is a good idea a throughout the year but can be particularly beneficial during flu season. Stock up on some hand sanitizer. Even with the use of hand sanitizer don’t stop washing your hands. Washing your hands is the best way to guard against the flu and prevent the spread of any germs.
If you know someone is sick, try to avoid contact as much as possible. Wash your hands several times per day.
The flu virus and other germs love to live in the kitchen on sponges, dishcloths, and other porous items like cutting boards, bathroom towels and wash cloths. If someone in your home is sick with the flu, do not share any of these items. Clean and disinfect places in your home that are places where a virus may be more likely to be.
Keep Your Home Clean
- Cabinet handles
- Computer keyboard
- Computer mouse
- Countertops
- Doorknobs and door handles
- Handheld electronics
- Light switches
- Keypads
- Phones (including your smartphone)
- Toilets
- Towels
- Toys
- TV remotes
If you do not have time to clean and disinfect, hire a local residential cleaning company to come in and give you some support in this area. Disinfecting “high-touch” surfaces can go a long way towards keeping your home virus free.
Public Spaces
If you do go out into the world then be careful with surfaces that many people may touch. One infected person without proper hand hygiene can place the flu virus on a surface that you may also touch.
On public transportation be careful with handrails, poles, and straphangers. Doorknobs, just like in your home are touched often. Elevator buttons may come in contact with many people in a short time. Facets, point-of-sale keypads, and shopping carts are also “high-touch” surfaces.
It can be hard to avoid directly touching these surfaces, you may want to consider carrying and using your own disinfectant wipes before touching them. This protects you and others.
Some Additional Basics to Fight the Flu
In the annual battle against the flu and other germs do not forget that a healthy lifestyle will help prevent sickness. Getting plenty of rest, eating well, drinking lots of water and exercising will go a long way in combatting illnesses.
Upper Valley Home Cleaning
If you need some general home cleaning help, then A Clean Vision can be the solution. We have been helping Upper Valley homeowners keep their homes clean since 1993! Give us a call at (802) 295-6065.