Flu Season Preparedness

Flu Season Preparation

The Influenza virus is not something to be taken lightly. Every year the seasonal flu kills roughly 24,000 people in the United States (CDC). While this may not seem like a high number, most, if not all, of these deaths could easily be prevented.

The first topic of discussion for flu season preparedness is general hygiene. On average, the typical person thoroughly washes their hands only 6 times per day (Clean Institute). Throughout the day, people touch many surfaces and objects used by others such as door handles, desks, tables, pens, counter tops, and much more. Imagine being at a store and you hand the clerk your credit card, they swipe it, and then hand it back to you. You had not noticed that previous to your interaction with this clerk, they had coughed into their hands. Once you leave the store, you get something in your eye and you rub it with your hands. Guess what? You now have the flu. This could easily be prevented by increasing the number of times per day that you and others wash your hands. According to the CDC, 21% of respiratory illnesses like colds and flus can be prevented through regular thorough hand washing. (CDC, Water, Sanitation, and Environmentally-related Hygiene).

Many people do not properly wash their hands after using the restroom or before handling food. There are proper procedures that need to be followed in order to greater reduce the risk of spreading infections disease. The CDC has outline when and how to properly wash your hands. The times in which washing your hands is necessary include: Before, during, and after preparing food, before eating food, after caring for the ill, after using the toilet, and after blowing your nose, sneezing, or coughing. The following procedure should be followed when washing your hands: Wet your hands with clean running water, later your hands with soap between fingers and under your nails, scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds, rinse your hands with clean running water, and finally dry your hands with a clean towel or air dry them (CDC, When and how to wash your hands).

Another important way to prevent getting the flu is to get your annual flu vaccine. The flu shots you get differ from year to year depending on the projections of which strains will be most prevalent during the upcoming flu season. Vaccines work by injecting your body with dead or injured flu viruses so your immune system can build a tolerance to the viruses without getting sick. If your immune system is strengthened to the virus, then your body will be more efficient at fighting off the illness when/if you come into contact with a live virus. Not only will you be protected from the flu, but you will also be less likely to spread the illness to others around you. When mass amounts of people get vaccinated for the flu, then it is less likely that they will spread it to others that are non-vaccinated, supporting the herd-immunity hypothesis.

While the above stated precautions greatly decrease your risk of getting the flu, it is still possible for you to be infected by the virus. It is very important that the flu not go untreated, seeing as it could turn into pneumonia and other related lower respiratory problems (CDC, Flu Preparedness). While these conditions can also be treated, it is more likely that serious damage could occur. As stated by the CDC, the most at risk people are children under the age of 5, adults over the age of 65, pregnant women, and people coming into contact with many others on a daily basis (CDC, High Risk). 

            Geographical location is a large factor to consider when looking at the risk of becoming infected by the flu virus. The most at risk locations in the United States are the states in the southeast region of the country and in the Midwest. Warm dry climates are least at risk and tropical regions have very minimal risk for flu due to climate (CDC, Flu Map). However, these tropical regions, like the United States Virgin Islands, are a hotspot for tourism during the winter months since people try to evade the cold weather in the contiguous United States. This high tourist traffic means that there is increased risk for spreading infectious diseases and viruses. This is why it is imperative that citizens of the Virgin Islands be prepare to handle the increased risk of getting the flu by getting vaccinated and making sure to take all precautionary measures to minimize their exposure and risk to the virus.

            Symptoms for the flu include: fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue, and fever. Sometimes you can experience vomiting and diarrhea. If you come down with the flu, be sure to seek medical attention in a timely fashion. Doctors are able to best diagnose the condition and provide you with the best antiviral treatment for your case. If you have been positively diagnosed with the flu, be sure to stay home, rest, and eat vitamin rich foods and drink lots of water. This will help your body effectively fight the infection and will limit the risk of spreading the illness to others at work, school, or in your community.

References:

http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/hygiene/hand/handwashing-corporate.html

Curtis V, Schmidt W, Luby S, Florez R, Touré O, Biran A. Hygiene: new hopes, new horizons. Lancet Infect Dis. 2011 Apr;11(4):312-21.

Aiello AE, Coulborn RM, Perez V, Larson EL. Effect of hand hygiene on infectious disease risk in the community setting: a meta-analysis.Am J Public Health. 2008;98(8):1372-81.

Burton M, Cobb E, Donachie P, Judah G, Curtis V, Schmidt WP. The effect of handwashing with water or soap on bacterial contamination of hands. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2011 Jan;8(1):97-104.

http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-guide/keeping-catchy-infections-contained?page=2

Aiello AE, Larson EL. What is the evidence for a causal link between hygiene and infections? Lancet Infect Dis. 2002;2:103–110.

Callwood, G. B., Campbell, D., Gary, F., & Radelet, M. L. (2012). Health and Health Care in the U.S. Virgin Islands: Challenges and Perceptions. The ABNF Journal : Official Journal of the Association of Black Nursing Faculty in Higher Education, Inc, 23(1), 4–7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3573759/