eHow launches Android app: Get the best of eHow on the go.

How To

How to Protect Yourself from Swine Flu

Member
By Lorie Huston
User-Submitted Article
(2 Ratings)
Swine flu has reached the US, Mexico, Canada and other countries.
Swine flu has reached the US, Mexico, Canada and other countries.

Swine flu has recently been reported in several states in the United States and has reached serious proportions in Mexico. Swine flu is also now being found overseas as well.

Health officials have stated that swine flu could reach pandemic proportions.

Read on for tips to help protect you and your family from swine flu.

Difficulty: Challenging
Instructions
  1. Step 1

    Preventing swine flu starts with good basic hygiene. Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently. Washing your hands helps provide spread of many different infectious diseases, including the common cold. Hand washing is equally as effective for swine flu.

    Though hand washing is not a panacea, it is a necessary step in keeping yourself healthy. When washing your hands in a public place, try to avoid touching fixtures in the bathroom when possible. Use a clean paper towel covering the door knob to open the door when exiting.

  2. Step 2

    Avoid sharing food and drink utensils with others. Swine flu (and other communicable diseases) can be spread quite easily by contacting saliva and other body fluids from individuals infected with swine flu.

  3. Step 3

    Cover your nose and mouth when sneezing and/or coughing and ask others around you to do the same. Swine flu causes symptoms such as sneezing and coughing so this can be a common means of spread.

  4. Step 4

    Avoid close contact with others. Swine flu can be more easily spread with close contact. Close contact includes activities such as hugging or kissing.

  5. Step 5

    Avoid people who are sneezing, coughing or showing other flu-like symptoms. Remember that swine flu can also cause vomiting and diarrhea.

  6. Step 6

    Do not go to work or school if you have flu-like symptoms. Insist on the same courtesy from co-workers. Ask sick co-workers to go home so that they do not infect others.

  7. Step 7

    Avoid non-essential travel to other countries with confirmed swine flu cases. Many airlines are offering refunds for tickets already purchased. Others are offering an opportunity to reschedule planned trips. Postpone your trip until the swine flu scare has come to an end.

  8. Step 8

    Many people are wearing face-masks to help protect them from swine flu. Though the verdict is out as to whether these masks provide good protection, but wearing them certainly can do no harm and may provide some protection against swine flu.

Tips & Warnings
  • Swine flu is not transmissible through eating pork. There is no need to stop consuming pork products because of the swine flu scare.

Comments  

Flag This Comment

on 5/31/2009 buy this http://tamiflushop.us/product/tamiflu.html

Post a Comment

Post a Comment
  • Have you done this? Click here to let us know.
I Did This

Related Ads

Get Free Health Newsletters

Copyright © 1999-2009 eHow, Inc. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.   en-US Portions of this page are modifications based on work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License.

Live Strong Partner
Livestrong_eHow Health