It’s flu season again, but you’re never completely defenseless. Here are a few tips and tricks to prevent yourself and others from getting sick this season. You’ll learn how to prevent the flu from spreading in your house, and get cold and flu prevention tips for the workplace. Read on to combat cold and flu viruses this year.
“What I find most disturbing about Valentine's Day is, look, I get that you have to have a holiday of love, but in the height of flu season, it makes no sense.” - Lewis Black
Get Vaccinated, Have Your Kids Vaccinated
Every year the flu shot is available and a viable option for avery parent and child. Getting a flu shot will reduce the chance of actually getting the flu, and the level of effectiveness is slightly different each year. Some people are skeptical of getting a new shot every year, but it is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. And moreover, the more people who get vaccinated means that the disease will affect fewer people who were not vaccinated. Flu vaccinations offer the following benefits:
- Sickness prevention
- Reduced risk of hospitalization
- Improved respiratory health
- Protects pregnant women
- Greatly reduces the risk of influenza related deaths
- Lessens severity of illness should you become sick
- Offers herd immunity
Keep Things Clean
It may sound obvious, but one of the most effective ways to prevent germs from spreading either in your home or office, is simply to clean. This method has been proven to be good at stopping cold and flu germs. If you’re strapped for time or simply want to make sure the job is getting done right, hire a professional. This will make sure germs don’t remain on surfaces that other people will touch. Consider the following cleaning tips to prevent people from getting sick in your living or work areas.
- Always wipe down a surface, preferably with a cleaning solution
- Disinfect cleaning cloths at 140 degrees F
- Clean everything in detergent and warm water
- Mop with two buckets - one for rinsing and one for detergent
- Disinfect toilets
- Clean the grout
- Use separate chopping boards for raw meats
- Wash hands after handling dirty laundry
- Wash hands after dealing with waste removal
Cover Your Cough
Another completely reasonable countermeasure to avoiding spreading germs, the simple act of covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze can reduce the amount of cold or flu germs going airborne. This is one of the easiest methods on how to prevent the spread of viruses. So cover your face with your elbow when you feel a cough or sneeze coming on.
In the Workplace
Prevention is key in the office. If you’re sick, work from home or take some time off. Avoid contact with sick people, they’ll understand. And as always, wipe down surfaces. Knowing how germs are spread is the key to eliminating them.
Other Hints and Tips
Still wondering how to prevent germs? There are many ways to avoid getting sick. Here are just a few random pointers that you can follow if you want to stop the spreading of germs.
- If you’re sick, stay home!
- Wash your hands frequently
- Take a multivitamin
- Don’t share food or drinks
- Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
- Don’t share earbuds
- Stay hydrated
- Don’t double dip
- Avoid crowds
- Drink green tea
Need advice on how to fight colds? The first step is maintaining a clean home environment. Call us to get a free estimate.
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