With flu season just days away, it is important to pay close attention to personal hygiene to both prevent infection and limit its spread, should such measures fail. Although individuals who have contracted in the flu in the past have likely developed immunity to a specific variation of the illness, the virus adapts over time with new strains. Latinos Post has collected information from the CDC that will hopefully ensure a safer and happier holiday season for our readers.
Symptoms
Symptoms for the flu include cough/sore throat, head/body aches, fatigue, chills, high fever, runny nose, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. Treatment should be sought from a doctor, who may prescribe antiviral or antibiotic medications, depending upon the seriousness of the illness. Non-medical treatment includes getting rest, drinking clear fluids and staying hydrated, using a damp washcloth for comfort, using a humidifier, gargling salt water, and staying under warm blankets to temper chills.
Prevention
In the interest of flu prevention, the CDC suggests following public health advice for public gathering places, washing your hands frequently with water and soap or alcohol hand wash, covering your nose and mouth with a tissue while sneezing, and disposing of tissues after use. The CDC asserts that the flu primarily spreads through coughing and sneezing.
Containment
The CDC states that the flu virus can survive for between two to eight hours after touching a surface, but can be destroyed with heat (167-212°F [75-100°C]), soap detergents, hydrogen peroxide, chlorine, iodine-based antiseptics, alcohols, and other germicides. Surfaces such as bedside tables, bathroom counters, kitchen counters, and toys for children are susceptible to deposits of the influenza virus. As far as linens, utensils, and dishes are concerned, the CDC says that they "do not need to be cleaned separately, but importantly these items should not be shared without washing thoroughly first." With linens, make sure to tumble dry on a hot setting. Immediately after handling dirty laundry, people should wash their hands with soap or alcohol. Infected individuals are advised to remain home for a minimum of 24 hours after their fever has broken, "without the use of fever-reducing medicines." With the H1N1 strain, people can infect others up to 1 day before feeling ill to 5 to 7 days after. This period of time may vary depending on the immune system of the infected person.
Emergency Warning Signs
Should the flu become severe, caretakers need to know the warning signs that signal a need for immediate emergency medical attention. In children, these signs include fast breathing or trouble breathing, bluish skin color, not drinking enough fluids, not waking up or not interacting, being "so irritable that the child does not want to be held", flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough, and fever with a rash. In adults, warning signs include difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness, confusion, severe or persistent vomiting, and flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with fever or worse cough.
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