Flu Season is Coming: Are You Ready?

Winter is here which means the dreaded flu season. Influenza, or flu, is a respiratory illness caused by a virus. Flu is highly contagious and is normally spread by the coughs and sneezes of an infected person. 

A person can also catch flu by touching an infected person, for instance, by shaking hands.

Adults are contagious 1–2 days before getting symptoms and up to 7 days after becoming ill. This means that you can spread the influenza virus before you even know you are infected.

No one wants to catch the flu, or spread it to their co-workers, family and friends, but there are several things you can do to protect yourself against the flu. Here are our top five tips.

1. Perform hand hygiene often

It’s one of the most important measures to stay healthy all year long. Hand hygiene includes either handwashing with hand soap, or using an alcohol-based hand sanitiser.

2. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth

Germs from your hands can enter your body through your eyes, nose and mouth. Make a conscious effort to avoid doing so.

3. Cover your cough or sneeze

Cough or sneeze into your sleeve or into a tissue and perform hand hygiene immediately after.

4. Stay home if you are sick, and limit contact with others as much as possible

If you have a fever, a good rule of thumb is to stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone, but always follow a medical professional’s advice. Coming to work sick is harmful to co-workers and visitors.

5. Clean and disinfect surfaces often

Contaminated surfaces play an important role in pathogen transmission. Influenza viruses generally can survive on surfaces for several hours. Since we frequently touch surfaces with our hands, cleaning surfaces often can help prevent our hands from becoming contaminated. 

Want more tips on good hand hygiene practice?

Check out our resources page for posters like, 7 Steps to Clean Hands.

Source: ESG Asia Pacific, Medical News Today