With all the news about H1N1 "Swine Flu," focus has turned to methods to protect ourselves from becoming infected. The Swine Flu is serious, no doubt, but the methods for protecting yourself from becoming infected with the Swine Flu apply to ensuring you are not infected by just about any similar contagious disease.
RISKS OF BECOMING INFECTED WITH THE FLU VIRUS
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), although people 65 years old and older are least likely to become infected with the H1N1 Swine Flu virus, if such a person does get infected, they are at "high risk" to develop serious complications from the virus. Additionally, the CDC believes those 65 years and older are at "increased risk" for serious complications from the seasonal flu as well. As a nursing home or assisted living facility resident, how can you protect yourself? Simple, wash your hands and make sure all those who come in contact with you do the same.
PROPER HANDWASHING IS A SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE PREVENTATIVE MEASURE
The CDC believes: "Handwashing is a simple thing and it is the best way to prevent infection and illness." Although handwashing seems like a simple process, which all of us have seemingly been doing since we were 2 years old, the CDC provides the following guidelines for effective and proper handwashing:
When washing hands with soap and water:
- Wet your hands with clean running water and apply soap. Use warm water if it is available.
- Rub hands together to make a lather and scrub all surfaces.
- Continue rubbing hands for 15-20 seconds. Need a timer? Imagine singing "Happy Birthday" twice through to a friend.
- Rinse hands well under running water.
- Dry your hands using a paper towel or air dryer. If possible, use your paper towel to turn off the faucet.
- Always use soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.
- If soap and clean water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub to clean your hands. Alcohol-based hand rubs significantly reduce the number of germs on skin and are fast-acting.
When using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer:
- Apply product to the palm of one hand.
- Rub hands together.
- Rub the product over all surfaces of hands and fingers until hands are dry.
A simple and effective method of ensuring people wash their hands is to purchase a container of alcohol-based hand sanitizer and put it on a table in your room. Do not be shy about asking people to use it! It is up to you to make sure people who come into your room wash their hands.
Protect yourself from infection by making sure those who come in contact with you, whether they be staff caring for you or friends and family visiting you, wash their hands. The alternative, becoming infected with a contagious disease to save a few minutes of time just is not worth the risk.
Did you know during the 2009-2010 flu season, there were "41,914 laboratory-confirmed influenza-associated hospitalizations and 2,125 laboratory-confirmed influenza-associated deaths" in the United States? Many of those deaths are considered "preventable."