Fermo cautions that flu season is upon us. There are ways to defend yourself to avoid becoming “sick as a dog!”
Some tips for defending yourself against the flu
RTO Events news, October 2018
The common flu, more properly called influenza, hospitalizes more than 12,000 Canadians each year. Children and older adults are most vulnerable and affected most seriously by this airborne virus. Influenza is passed on from person to person via respiratory droplets caused by sneezing, coughing and talking.
We have written numerous times about safeguards and preventative measures to take to defend one’s self against influenza and we repeat those as written by RTO:
- Get the annual flu shot — Keep up-to-date with your annual flu vaccination shots to decrease your chances of catching or spreading the flu when you are exposed to the virus.
- Practice good hand hygiene — It’s good practice to wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds and keep hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth to help stop the spread of germs. An alcohol-based hand sanitizer is also effective in the absence of soap and water.
- Build up your immune system — Taking vitamin supplements, eating healthy and staying physically active can help build up your immune system. Rest is also very important, as your body needs time to recoup and rebuild in order to support a healthy immune system.
- Skip the handshakes — Shaking hands with someone who has the flu can put you at risk. Consider replacing your handshake with a friendly wave or fist pound.
- Disinfect. Disinfect — Wipe down surfaces and disinfect your home/area on a regular basis. The flu virus can live on surfaces such as furniture, door knobs, light switches for two to eight hours. Keeping areas clean and germ-free will prevent the spread of this virus.
For more tips and information on flu safety and prevention, visit the Government of Canada’s website on public health.
