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Lessening the potential for swine flu infections
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Simple common sense is often the most powerful defense against
dangers and hazards. There is a reason that the government and health
authorities such as the WHO are at pains to spread awareness of the
swine flu. The more that people know about the disease, the more they
are able to implement simple common sense and protect themselves.
A family member who is down with swine flu will need other family
members to exercise common sense measures to keep themselves
infection-free. These are the most important steps to take:
- The sick person should occupy a place that other family members do
not ever go to. - Sick people should learn to cover their mouths when
they cough and should make sure that they wash their hands with soap or
sanitizer after they have sneezed or coughed.
- The family should learn to often use soap and water or sanitizer to
clean their hands through the day.
- Family members who give direct care to the person who's down with
swine flu, should ask a doctor if they can be prescribed preventive
doses of antiviral such as Tamiflu.
- If a family member comes down with swine flu, the sick person should
be placed in a room that the other family members know not to go to for
the
duration of the illness. That room ideally should have its own
exclusive bathroom, and the door to the room should be kept closed. A
window must be thrown open for air though.
- People with swine flu should make sure that they do not leave home
unnecessarily; doing so can place any people they cross outside, at
risk of swine food themselves. Patients of swine flu are most likely to
be contagious when they are running a fever or in the first 7 to 10
days after the onset of the disease.
- The sick person should never have other family members stopping by
the room for a get-well visit. Even in the same home, a phone call
would be a better way to cheer up the sick.
- As far as possible there should be just one person in the house
responsible for the care of the sick. There is no point in having any
more people exposed to the disease than necessary.
- Pregnant women are naturally less immunologically capable: their
immune systems are less than adequate during
pregnancy. It is best to have pregnant women not take care of anyone
who is sick with swine flu. Pregnant women, if they happen to catch the
disease, can be in for some pretty nasty complications.
Common sense is all one needs in the fight against swine flu. Keep in
touch with the CDC website for updated common sense rules to observe.
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