6 ways to limit the spread of influenza

Step 1: Don't panic. Step 2: Use common sense and good hygiene to avoid spreading the flu virus during a pandemic

By Dr. Vincent Lam and Dr. Colin Lee

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Influenza infects your body through your mucous membranes: your nose, mouth, and eyes.

1. Wash up

Good handwashing and good cough and sneeze etiquette are always wise habits to reduce the risk of spreading or contracting any infection, and they are crucial to protecting your health during a pandemic. Be a good example for your children.

2. Keep your distance

“Social distancing” and trying to stay more than 1 metre away from people will decrease your risk of spreading or contracting influenza during a pandemic.

3. Be cautious

Use a mask if you need to be less than 1 metre from a person who is ill with influenza, or if you must be in a crowd during Phase 6 of a pandemic. If you can, it’s even better to avoid crowds at this time.

4. Protect yourself

If you are going to be handling the bodily fluids or secretions of someone who is ill with influenza, wash your hands even more and consider wearing gloves.

5. Find balance

Choosing how to go about your daily life during a pandemic means striking a balance between an activity’s risk of exposing you to influenza, and whether that activity is essential for you.

6. Play it safe

Cooperate with any containment measures in your community if they are used. They are well understood to be disruptive and therefore won’t be used unless they are felt to be important.

Excerpted from The Flu Pandemic and You Copyright © 2006 by Vincent Lam, M.D. Colin Lee, M.D.. Excerpted by permission of Doubleday Canada. All rights reserved.

1 Comment

Folks, We all need to be more vigilant, especially in a pandemic situation now with H1N1 flu virus. Bottom line for me is to always be alert with health issues. Being healthy would enable our bodies from being sick. My thoughts include the following. Make it a practice to have a balanced diet every day. Don't be like me and be deficient on fruits and vegetables. Always maintain a high degree of personal hygiene. Take a bath daily, and wash your hands including rubbing between your fingers with soap for at least 12 seconds each time. Carry out a regiment of daily exercise such as walking 1 mile (minimum) per day. Relax and have a good laugh every day. It’s well known that this is very healthy. Be optimistic always. You'll feel happier, relate to others better, and do your job more effectively. Whenever you come up with a difficult situation, say at work, consider yourself lucky, because if it was easier, someone else with less ability would be sitting in your chair. Learn and practice stress management. Stress is known to have caused many illnesses including high blood pressure, obesity, heart problem, and osteoporosis. Be gentle with yourself. Be generous with others. Love your family, friends, and neighbours. For me, love includes caring for, and lending a helping hand as required. Protect your eyes from UVA and UVB rays. Make sure the sun glasses you wear meet this requirement. By the way, they can manufacture these lenses within $1. I am sure I have left something important out. But if you just practice the above, you will be in a good position on the road of a healthy body and healthy mind. Be a chum and share your better ideas with all of us! Saint Joseph

Submitted by Saint Joseph on Fri, 2009-11-06 5:40pm.

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