-->
This is the second installment of a
three-part series highlighting the theme of community immunity this flu season.
Because preventing the spread of flu starts at home -- and extends to the
community at large.
This year’s flu season just keeps getting scarier: flu activity surged
even higher in late January, [1]
with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting the
aggressive H3N2 influenza virus as widespread throughout the entire continental
United States.[2] As
of January 27, 2018, the CDC has reported over 50 pediatric flu deaths.[3]
Influenza is a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory
tract (nose, throat, and lungs) that can cause secondary complications and
attack other target organs in the body.[4]
It typically spreads when an infected person cough or sneezes, spewing the
virus up to six feet through the air.[5]
You can also catch the flu by touching your eyes, nose or mouth after touching
a contaminated surface or object.[6]
So, how do you protect your loved ones? Families Fighting Flu encourages
everyone 6 months and older in your home to get an annual flu vaccination. This
is especially critical for the very young members of your family and elderly
grandparents, who are more vulnerable to influenza. Sadly, senior
citizens account for at least 71% of deaths linked to influenza, and at least 54%
of hospitalizations for flu complications.[7] Due to their weaker immune systems, people age
65+ are more likely to suffer complications from the flu, which is why it’s
critical that people in this age group get the annual flu shot.
Despite your best efforts, if someone in your family brings home this
year’s flu bug, put a game plan in place to protect the rest of your household.
• Try to give the sick person(s) their own room. More than
one sick person can share the same room if needed.
• If you have more than one bathroom, have sick people use
one bathroom and well people use the other one.
• Give each sick person their own drinking glass, washcloth,
and towel.[8]
Stock the sick room with tissues to cover coughs and sneezes, and toss
used tissues into a lidded trash can with a plastic, disposable liner. Have the
sick person wear a facemask or cover their nose and mouth with a tissue when
they leave the sick room or are around others.[9]
Finally, have them wash their hands often with soap and water or use an
alcohol-based hand rub.[10]
- Keep everyone out of the sick room except for the caregiver. If that person happens to be you, keep yourself healthy:
- Limit the amount of time in the sick room
- Avoid being directly face-to-face with the sick person – if a child, put their chin on your shoulder so they can’t cough in your face.
- Wash your hands after leaving the sick room
When possible, open a window in the sick room and use a fan to keep
fresh air flowing.[11] Clean the sick room daily, including hard
surfaces that may harbor the flu virus, like bedside tables, toys, phones and
door knobs. Use normal laundry soap on their dirty laundry and tumble dry on
the hot setting.[12]
Wash your hands immediately after handling any items the sick person has
used. You can also wash the sick
person’s dishes with ordinary dish liquid or put them into the dishwasher.[13]
Barring any health complications, your flu patient should be able rejoin
the rest of the family 24 hours after the fever ends.
For more information on the flu and what you can
do to protect your family, visit www.familiesfightingflu.org.
The third
installment in the community immunity series tackles the topic of how to
protect yourself at work and out in public during the flu season. Check back
with us in a couple of week for part three of the series.
No comments:
Post a Comment