Practical Tips to Use to Avoid the Flu

Flu season is upon us here in the northern hemisphere. A couple of weeks ago I encouraged everyone to determine if they need a flu shot. If you did need this shot then you should get that shot now. I understand that the flu shot is in short supply this year and that the flu season may be a nasty one as well.

The influenza virus causes the flu and it infects 10-20 percent of Americans yearly. Its symptoms are often confused with the common cold, but influenza is far more dangerous, infecting at least 120 million people worldwide and killing some 20,000 Americans every year. People most likely to be very ill from the flu include the elderly, young children, and adults who have immune systems that do not work very well.

The flu is worse than the common cold because the viruses (influenza viruses) that cause the flu are able to get down into a person's lungs and cause pneumonia. The common cold viruses (rhinoviruses and coronaviruses) do not go down in the lungs but rather stay up in our nasal passages and throats.

Many of us will not be vaccinated against the flu because the vaccine has run out or because we are less likely to develop pneumonia from an influenza virus infection. The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) have developed some great information on how to avoid being infected by the influenza virus. This brochure is a pdf file titled Protecting Your Family From Influenza. It contains practical steps you can take to avoid that nasty virus.

Doing the following will reduce your chances of getting the Flu if you can't get the vaccine.

1. Wash your hands frequently. In business, deals may be done with a handshake, but that simple action could cause the flu, since hand contact is one of the principal ways the flu virus finds its way into your system. Wash your hands vigorously for about 15 seconds, paying attention to the areas between the fingers and on the back of the hands. Use hot water, and rinse in a steady stream. At your lavatory at work, dry your hands before you shut the water off, using the towel to turn the tap. If there's a blow dryer, activate it with your elbow.
2. An anti-viral drug is an option for those who should not get an influenza vaccine. Both amantadine and rimantadine have been shown to be safe and effective - about 70 to 80 percent - in reducing both the severity as well as length of influenza A, one of the three flu viruses. These prescription
   The copyright of the article Practical Tips to Use to Avoid the Flu in Microbiology is owned by Neal Rolfe Chamberlain. Permission to republish Practical Tips to Use to Avoid the Flu in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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