Actions to be taken to prevent colds

RN, CIC


The flu and cold season is upon us, but it’s never too late to protect yourself from these ailments. It’s during the holiday season when we especially find ourselves in more situations that involve people. These include holiday parties, shopping malls, the airport, and school functions, to name a few. Then, of course, you come in contact with people who are not part of your daily life, such as out-of-town visitors, and relatives staying at your home.


Being in these environments greatly increases our chance of exposure to the common cold and the flu. But short of not attending holiday parties, shopping and visiting, what can you do to cut down on your chances of getting sick?


Though the common cold and flu viruses differ, there are some preventative methods that they both share.


•The most important one is to wash your hands. This very simple, very basic action is probably the single most important way to ward off potential cold and flu germs. Please, don’t underestimate it. Be very conscious of washing your hands throughout the day, especially before and after you eat, while at a party, during and after shopping, and while traveling. You should wash your hands vigorously for at least 10 seconds.


•Keep you fingers away from your nose, mouth, and eyes. In order for you to catch a cold or the flu, the related virus must first come in contact with the lining of your nose. Be careful, because viruses that touch the lining of the eyes or mouth can make their way to the nose.


•Stay away from people who have a cold or the flu.


Colds are most likely spread by direct contact, either from a person who has a cold or from a surface of an object.


For example, if a person with a cold touches his face, which spreads some mucus and virus particles to his fingers, the fingers could transfer the virus to a healthy person through a handshake. If the healthy person then touches her nose, eyes or lips, the virus is able to enter her body, and make her sick.


The same scenario applies for a healthy person who touches an object that has been touched previously by someone with a cold.


The flu virus, however, is spread mainly by droplet transmission. For instance, when a person who has the flu sneezes, coughs, or even speaks loudly, they fill the air with airborne droplets that are literally filled with flu particles. Another person can then inhale these droplets. Once the virus hands on the lining of the nose, throat, or airways, it invades the cells in its new host and starts reproducing itself rapidly.


– Get a flu shot every fall.


Flu shots are about 70 percent effective in preventing the flu. The flu vaccine is safe and effective.


In the past, the flu vaccine was made using a live virus. Now, the virus is inactivated before use, so on one can get the flu from the flu vaccine. And very few people have side effects. About one to two percent may have mild flu symptoms in the first 24 hours after getting the flu shot.


Being aware of how to prevent a cold or the flu is your first line of defense.


Follow these simple steps and never let your guard down. And above all, remember to wash your hands!


Jackman is an epidemiologist at Los Robles Regional Medical Center.





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