Throughout the past couple of months, discussions of different illnesses have been in the news. From the Enterovirus D68 to Ebola, everyone is becoming concerned about how to prevent these illnesses and keep them from spreading. While the Enterovirus D68 has shown signs of decreasing cases just in time for Influenza season, it is important for schools, offices, businesses and healthcare facilities to take all the precautions necessary to make sure that the flu is contained. Health officials recommend getting vaccinated for the flu since it is the single best way to prevent becoming infected by the virus, but it is not always guaranteed. This is why it is important to follow the Center of Disease Control’s Guidelines to help prevent the spread of the illness, applicable for children and teachers at school, in an office building setting, and especially employees within healthcare facilities.
The flu itself has the potential of spreading to others from about 6 feet away. Make sure to avoid close contact with people who are sick. When sick, make sure to keep a distance from others to protect them from becoming sick.
Try to stay at home when sick. Refrain from going to work, school or running any errands. This will help prevent others from catching the illness.
Make sure to cover the mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. If a tissue is not available, use the upper portion of a sleeve or the elbow. Using hands to cover a cough not only fails to stop the virus from spreading into the air, it also creates the potential of contaminating any surface the infected person touches. Carelessly sneezing and coughing in an unsafe manner is the main culprit for infecting the home, workplace, schools and healthcare facilities. This is why it is important to wash hands with soap and water, if this is not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Avoid touching the eyes, nose or mouth. In a populated setting such as a school or office building, it is possible that someone could be spreading the flu to high traffic surface areas such as drinking fountain handles or the sink in the break room.
Most importantly, following good health habits is the best thing anyone can do to help the prevention of Influenza. Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces at home, school, work and in healthcare facilities helps lower the chances of spreading the infection. By hiring a professional cleaning service such as Anago Philadelphia, you can ensure that students, teachers, and employees alike, will be able to work and learn in a healthy environment.