Every day we and our families meet numerous people: be it on the way to kindergarten or school, at work when talking to colleagues, or in the evening when meeting friends and acquaintances.
Social contacts are important, but they also increase the risk of influenza infection. It is all the more important to protect yourself and your family from the flu.
It can happen so quickly: the whole family was just alive and well and the first ones are already lying flat. But that’s no wonder: Your children go to kindergarten or school, where they are in close contact with their friends and schoolmates – which is very important for them socially and emotionally.
You yourself also make your way to work, perhaps you use public transport, which means that you might unintentionally get very close to fellow passengers. At work then a little “chat” with colleagues, then lunch in the canteen together with the team, and in the afternoon a coffee around the corner with a colleague from the open-plan office two floors down.
Life consists of many small and large, but above all important encounters, but at the same time, the circle for a potential flu infection is widened. It’s bad enough when your kids get sick. If you or your partner get infected, it becomes even more difficult to take care of loved ones. But with the right measures, you can protect yourself and your family from the flu.
Flu – this is what you and your family can do
The flu is a serious disease that can be life-threatening. Nevertheless, the vaccination rate in the U.S.A is currently only around 35 percent! This is despite the fact that a flu shot is currently the best way to protect you and your family from the flu and to prevent infection. But there are other ways to keep the flu away from you, your family, and those around you:
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- When sneezing or coughing, cover your mouth and nose by sneezing into the crook of your elbow or a tissue
- Wash hands frequently and thoroughly
- Avoid touching the face so that viruses cannot enter the body via the mucous membranes
- Clean surfaces, such as viruses and bacteria, can be found here that were only there to be carried further
- Avoid contact with sick people, both for their protection and for your own
- Remove used tissues
- Strengthen the immune system, for example, with fresh fruit and vegetables, but also with sufficient sleep and rest
- Avoid shaking hands during a flu outbreak if possible
Important note: The information in no way replaces professional advice or treatment by trained and recognized doctors. The content cannot and must not be used to independently diagnose or initiate treatment.
