With flu season upon us, it’s crucial to start thinking about how to ensure a flu-free holiday season. Even if you haven’t encountered anyone with the flu yet, it’s only a matter of time before it could potentially reach your home or office. Taking proactive steps to sanitize your space and maintain your health can give you peace of mind as you prepare for this relentless virus. WebMD offers several tips to help you stay flu-free this season.
First things first, get your flu shot. This is the best way to prevent the flu for you and your family. Make sure EVERYONE gets one. And keep in mind it takes two weeks for your body to build up antibodies towards the flu after your vaccine. The earlier you get the vaccine the better your chances are for not contracting the virus.
Next, cleaning. Flu experts agree, although this virus can cause extreme havoc, the actual virus cannot survive for long outside of the body. 24 hours is the max most studies agree on and a few minutes is the minimum. That being said, hard surfaces can sustain the virus the longest amounts of time, so focus your cleaning there. Disinfect things like toys, doorknobs, counter tops, handles, faucets, keyboards, remote controls and buttons with a disinfectant spray or wipe that kills bacteria AND viruses.
Finally, wash your hands often to keep viruses from entering your body. Wash your hands before you eat and after shaking hands or using the restroom. Any soap will do, the most important thing about washing is the duration and scrubbing to dislodge any germs from your hands and send them down the drain.
We hope you, your family and your office have a flu free holiday season!