The WHO raised their Pandemic Alert Level to 5 yesterday, officially recognizing the spread of swine flu as being pandemic.
In light of all this, it’s more important than ever for everyone to know what steps they can take to avoid coming down with swine flu. Here’s a list to get you started.
Wash Your Hands!
Washing your hands is the best defense against the flu.
Now, we don’t want to sound like a prissy know-it-all, but you probably have been washing your hands wrong.
According to the Mayo Clinic, a proper handwashing session should go like this:
- Run some warm water, wet your hands, and soap up.
- Rub your hands together for 15 to 20 seconds (the amount of time it takes you to sing through to the first chorus of “Sweet Child Of Mine”)
- Make sure to get the back of your hands, your wrists, between your fingers, and under your fingernails.
- Rinse.
- Dry your hands and turn off the faucet with the towel. (After all you touched the faucet handle with your dirty hands.)
If you think this sounds like a lot of work, you probably don’t have a manly job like longshoreman or alligator wrestler. It’s 15-20 seconds of warm water. Just do it so you can be that much less likely to get the damn flu.
The Mayo Clinic also gives a list of when you should wash your hands. Let me sum it up for you: Wash your hands before and after you do anything. If there’s no sink around, use hand sanitizer.
Don’t Pick Your Nose! Or Rub Your Eyes! Or Bite Your Nails!
Each of these men will have swine flu tomorrow. OK, OK, maybe they won't, but what they're doing makes them more likely to catch the flu.
We shouldn’t have to tell you not to do this. These are all nasty-ass habits to have anyway.
The flu virus can get into your body through mucous membranes (e.g. what your eye and the inside of your nose and mouth is). Since the virus can live for as long as 48 hours on some surfaces and there’s no way you can get around without touching stuff and getting germs on your hands, the idea here is to keep your nasty hands as far away as possible from places where the virus can enter.
Cover Your Damn Mouth When You Cough.
And While You’re At It, Cover Your Nose When You Sneeze.
After you sneeze, guess what you get to do? That’s right, wash your hands (after you throw away the tissue).
Most sources recommend you cough into the crook of your elbow rather than coughing into your bare hands. This is something I don’t like doing because hacking up phlegm onto my coat or shirt sucks. If you’re like me and don’t like mucousy clothes, cough into a tissue, toss it, then wash your hands.
Drink Lots Of Fluids And Do Regular Exercise
Your mother was right about both of these. You should call her and tell her.
Don’t Spend Time Around Sick People
They’re going to give you the flu. Avoid them. If you have to be around them, wear a mask and scrub your hands ASAP.
Don’t Become A Paranoid Nut
Now, there’s something to be said for avoiding crowds and public places, but don’t take it too far. Likewise, don’t make a production out of putting on a new pair of latex gloves each time you open a door or touch a handrail. Just be conscious of yourself, your body and your hygiene. That’s the best you can do.
For more on this, check out the CDC’s webpage Preventing the Flu: Good Health Habits Can Help Stop Germs.