You don’t have to look very hard this winter to find sick people around you. Flu cases are on the rise, coughs and colds are seemingly everywhere. So, if you’re fortunate enough to have avoided the bugs yourself, the professionals are offering advice on how to stay healthy in the middle of it all.
Understandably, winter is the season when illnesses, such as the flu, tend to infect more individuals than most other seasons. According to the Center for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) surveillance, flu cases in Southwest Michigan have been on the rise. Allegan County Health Department officials are reminding everyone to practice healthy habits this winter. Surprisingly, simply washing your hands is the best thing you can do to help stop the spread of germs and prevent respiratory illnesses like the flu.
In addition to hand-washing, follow other tips to protect yourself and others from the flu and help stop the spread.
- Get Vaccinated –The seasonal flu vaccine protects against the influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season. For a clinic closest to you, you can visit online at www.vaccinefinder.org.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick — When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick as well.
- Stay home when you are sick — If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. That helps prevent the spread of your illness to others.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing — It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Coughing, sneezing, or unclean hands spread the flu and other serious respiratory illnesses.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth — Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches their eyes, nose, or mouth.
- Practice other good health habits — Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill. Get plenty of sleep, exercise, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.
For more information on illness prevention and when to stay home, you can visit the Communicable Disease page at www.allegancounty.org/health. For more information on influenza activity, visit www.cdc.gov.
