How to Survive the Cold and Flu Season

Most people catch 2 to 4 colds a year and occasionally come down with the much more serious flu, so prevention is the best cure. Here's how to survive the cold and flu season:

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Flu shot
• DVDs
• Tissues galore
• DVD player
• Hand soap
• Vitamin C
• Chicken soup
• Cold medicine
• Fluids
• Anti-bacterial hand gel

1. Paranoia is the best prevention: Get a flu shot, wash your hands after contact with the outside world (especially after touching doorknobs and handrails) and avoid airplanes, movie theaters and snotty-faced children.
2. Prepare for the worst but hope for the best. Stock up on cold medicine, vitamin C tablets, chicken soup, comfort food, tissues, orange juice and DVDs.
3. Clean extensively or hire someone to do it for you as soon as everyone in your home no longer carries the contagion. De-germ every inanimate surface (cats don’t take well to cleaning). Repeat after every bout of illness.
4. Seek a medical opinion if a third bout of cold or flu strikes within a month—unless you have school-age children. Children bring home an estimated 14 cases of cold or flu a year during grade school, so someone will always be sick at your house. Consider it a lifestyle.

Tips & Warnings

• Survive the cold and flu season by working from home if possible.
• Defy doctor’s orders at your own risk. Considering yourself above sound medical advice (“I don’t need to rest, I’ll be fine.”) merely extends your illness, brings on secondary infections and spreads your sickness to innocent bystanders. Not good.