Year’s Resolutions are always an important part of this time of year. A New Year’s Resolution we’d like to see you take is that you will make every effort to avoid the flu in 2019. Of course, if you have not had your flu vaccine, that would be the first part of this resolution. Please get your flu shot.
“Everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu vaccine every year before flu activity begins in their community. CDC recommends getting vaccinated by the end of October.” However, it’s not too late.
New Year’s Resolution: Make the Most of The Protection of Disinfection
Put Our Flu-free New Year’s Resolution for 2019 on your list.
The second part of this New Year’s Resolution, the Protection of Disinfection, means a little work. But we know you will feel it is worth it if you escape the flu of 2019. So, as simple as some of these flu prevention resolutions seem, we might not think of them in the rush of everyday pursuits.
New Year’s Resolution 1: “Handy” Every Day Disinfection
Part of this resolution involves your hands. Resolve not only to wash them more often but also to wash the handles and faucet of your kitchen and bathroom. Did you know that colds and flu can lurk in and on these faucets?
Likewise, they are great nesting spots for mold, yeast, salmonella and E. coli. So, let’s resolve to wash more than hands at the sink. This Resolution requires meticulous cleaning of faucets and handles–as well as hands.
New Year’s Resolution 2: Treacherous Toothbrush Holders
Toothbrush holders are invisible. We know they are there, but we seldom regard them as repositories of germs. And sad to say, that is what they are. Please, if someone in the family is sick, isolate his or her toothbrush in its own holder. This FLASS resolution requires you to pledge to keep the toothbrush holder impeccably clean and disinfected.
New Year’s Resolution 3: Toxic Touch Screens
How to Avoid the Flu Virus
About the term “touch” screens; they are always being touched with fingertips. And fingertips often harbor the flu virus. Swipe, tap, touch. But first, FLASS highly recommends that you scrupulously clean your devices. Phones, computers, and tablets all trade flu viruses between glass and fingertips. (We do not mean computer viruses.)
“You can buy special wipes or check the instructions for the best way to clean the screen. There are also devices that use UV light to disinfect your gadgets.”
New Year’s Resolution Number 4: Deadly Desk Surfaces
Think of all the places you go before you touch your desk and work-space. While colds and flu are in season, let’s make a New Year’s Resolution to clean off and wipe down the work-space often and well. How long can the flu virus live on your desk? According to experts at WebMD, they can live on any hard surface for an entire workday—that’s 8 hours.
The Flu Virus Can Live On Your Computer Screen For An Entire Work Day
New Year’s Resolution 5: Contaminated Clickers
Do you even think about disinfecting the television remote? It’s high tech, high touch and low ranked on most house cleaning lists.
Flu virus and cold germs live the longest life terms on plastic and similar hard surfaces. Experts recommend a dry toothbrush for the initial cleaning. Follow that with a cotton swab dampened with disinfectant. With these tools, you will be ready to battle with the flu virus on the battleground of the television remote. Bonus: This exact cleaning method will work for computer keyboards.
New Year’s Resolution 6: Promise to Call the Doctor
If you or someone you love is in the high-risk category for flu-related complications, FLASS advises you call your, or his or her physician. You see, if you are at high risk, it means your flu could lead to “pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus infections and, rarely, hospitalization or death.” Did you know the flu can “worsen chronic health problems such as asthma and congestive heart failure?
This Resolution Will Protect You and the Ones You Love if You Are in the High-Risk Group for Complications
We have blogged previously about high-risk groups, but we want to review them for you here. Resolve to take these groups seriously. “You have an increased risk of flu-related complications if you” are in any of these risky groups:
The Little Ones: Make a New Year’s Resolution to call the doctor if your child gets flu symptoms at any age younger than 5 years old. Especially be aware of symptoms in children younger than two years old. Remember, the flu season of 2017-2018 season claimed the lives of 172 children. And it happens fast; the CDC reported most of the children died within 7 days of contracting the flu. Making this New Year’s Resolution requires you to be vigilant
The Elder Ones: If people you love Are 65 years old or older, resolve to call the doctor at the first sign of flu.
The Pregnant ones: If you know someone who is pregnant or given birth recently, this New Year’s Resolution requires you to call their doctor.
Antiviral Medication Can Lessen the Duration and Severity of Your Flu
The Chronically Sick Ones: This resolution includes watching out for family and friends in the high-risk group of the chronically ill. Call the doctor if you or your loved one gets the flu and already has “certain chronic medical conditions, including asthma, emphysema, heart disease, diabetes, neuromuscular disease, and kidney, liver or blood disease, or a weakened immune system due to medications or HIV.”
Alert Physician
Likewise, make a resolution to alert the physician if someone you care about is younger than 19 and receiving long-term aspirin therapy, or if a flu victim lives in a long-term care facility.
Did you know the high-risk groups include you if you have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater? There is a good reason to improve your healthy eating and exercising habits.
Studies also prove that American Indians and Alaska Natives are also at high risk if they catch the flu.
The New Year’s Resolution Number 7: The Medication Indication
Once you have called the doctor, if you’re in one of these groups, be aware “your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication — oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or zanamivir (Relenza.) These medications will reduce the severity and length of your symptoms.
Make a Resolution to Have a Happy Healthy Flu Free Family in 2019
“Studies show that flu antiviral drugs work best for treatment when they are started within 2 days of getting sick. But starting them later can still be helpful if the sick person has a high-risk factor or is very sick from the flu.” The Florida Lung, Asthma and Sleep Specialists invite you to take a personal New Year’s Resolution to follow your doctor’s instructions for the taking of this drug and Get Well Soon.
We invite you to follow our 7 New Year’s Flu-Related Resolutions and have a flu-free, healthy and prosperous 2019.
