Tips for Prevent the Spread of H1N1

Looking for the number one way to prevent a swine flu, or any other type of virus pandemic?

Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water for a full 20 seconds.

That's it, the number one tip to stay healthy this flu season.

It sounds too simple and everyone knows about the importance of hand washing, but how many of us actually practice it?

On a personal note, while washing my own hands in the women's restroom, I've noticed many women check their hair and makeup carefully but fail to wash their hands after using the facilities. Gross!

Educators can encourage their students to cover their mouths and noses with tissues when coughing or sneezing by making sure there are several tissue boxes placed strategically around the room, and a covered waste basket available for soiled tissues.

Parents can reinforce this behavior by doing the same thing for the home. Boxes of tissues are cheap as a preventative and the covered wastebasket helps keep the germs contained.

Teachers may also request that alcohol based wipes be provided for the classroom. A quick wipe of door handles, desk tops and keyboards between classes would greatly reduce the number of resident surface germs.

Again, parents can replicate this action at home by having cleaning wipes available in the bathroom and kitchen. It only takes a moment to quickly wipe down door handles, the refrigerator door and counter tops.

Another good idea for the class room is to provide a pump bottle of an alcohol based, instant hand sanitizer on their desk and encourage students to use it liberally.

Parents can also encourage this preventative behavior by providing small pump bottles of hand sanitizer in each child's bedroom, the bathrooms and kitchen.

Teachers should watch for signs of illness among their students, such as lethargy, runny noses, coughing, sneezing and flushed faces and remove the potentially ill child to the nurse's station for isolation.

Inform parents in the school newsletter that ill children must be kept at home a full 24 hours after all symptoms are completely gone.

We don't have to get hysterical over H1N1 flu, with some simple preventative actions, we as parents and educators can greatly reduce the possibility of a flu pandemic from ever happening.

Source: www.cdc.gov