How to Stay Healthy During Flu Season, Nov. 6

The end of October marks the start of influenza “flu” season that can last until spring. With the flu comes sniffles, sneezes, fever and aches. Coos County Health & Human Services want to share three simple ways to help you remain healthy during this time period: 1. Wash Your Hands before, during and after you prepare food; before eating; after playing outdoors or with pets; after using the bathroom, blowing your nose, covering your cough, handling garbage or changing diapers; and when they are visibly dirty. See How to Wash Your Hand with Soap and Water, Cleaning Your Hands with Hand Sanitizer, and hand washing video link below. 2. Cover Your Cough & Sneeze: • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. • Put your used tissue in the waste basket. • If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow, not your hands. 3. Get Your Flu Shot: Flu shots are available in the Public Health Clinic. Call 541-751-2400 to schedule an appointment today. How to Wash Hands with Soap and Water – Washing your hands is not complicated, but it does need to be done correctly to be effective. Follow these steps for success: • It is best to use warm running water and soap. • Wet your hands with warm running water. It the water is too hot it can chap your skin. • Apply soap. Liquid or foam soap if best as bar soap can harbor germs. • Scrub and rub your hands vigorously for 20 seconds creating a lather. Singing the ABCs or Happy Birthday twice is approximately 20 seconds. • Pay special attention to: Finger tips; Area under nails; Between fingers; Palms; Back of hands; Base of thumbs; Wrists; • Rinse off well. Rising removes soap and germs and prevents skin irritation. • Dry your hands off with a paper towels. • Turn off faucet with a paper towel. • Open door with a paper towel, if possible. Cleaning Your Hands with Hand Sanitizer – Washing your hand with hand sanitizer is easy and works well when you do not have access to water. • Use only when there’s no visible dirt or material on your hands. • Use a hand sanitizer that is 60%+ alcohol. • Rub in until dry. Remember to pay special attention to your fingertips, under your nails, between your fingers, palms, back of hands, base of thumbs and your wrists. This will take approximately 15-20 seconds if proper amount of sanitizer is used. • In order for a hand sanitizer to be effective your hands need to be fully dry before coming into contact with people or objects. Hand Washing Video Links: • Wash Your Hands: http://www.cdc.gov/CDCTV/WashYourHands/ • Clean Hands Help Prevent the Flu: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHISh559oho For more information visit www.cdc.gov/handwashing/ or call Cynthia Edwards, Coos County Health Education Coordinator at 541-294-6643.