How to stop your family getting swine flu
Don’t panic
Up to 10% of the people who get “regular flu” die (usually the very young, the very old, and people with other health problems). Yet we all go about our daily lives each year during flu season without panicking. H1N1 is really no different.
Don’t worry about face masks unless you:
1) Already have someone in the family who is infected – they should then wear the mask in common areas of the house, or the caregiver could use it when around that person.
2) If you have someone in the family who is particularly at risk (people less than 2 or over 65, pregnant women, people with chronic disease, problems with their immune system, or on aspirin therapy) in case you end up being somewhere where there are known or suspected cases of H1N1.
Carry hand sanitiser and use it frequently
You could even carry antiseptic wipes and wipe down supermarket trolley handles before using.
Protect babies under six months old
• Be careful about who holds and touches her.
• Even if people seem healthy, insist that they wash their hands (or use hand sanitizer) before holding or touching the baby.
• Avoid crowded public places if possible. If you need to go out, consider using a sling or other baby carrier that keeps her close to you.
• Breastfeed! Breast milk contains antibodies that can help keep her healthy. Don’t stop breastfeeding if you get sick–the antibodies your body makes to fight your infection will pass through the milk and give her a head start on fighting the same infection. If she gets sick, breast milk is absolutely the best thing for her.
Consider Tamiflu
You probably don’t need to consider Tamiflu unless you or someone in your family gets sick with H1N1 flu. Then you and your doctor will decide if taking medication makes sense.
Take these simple precautions
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue out.
• Wash your hands often (especially after you cough or sneeze) with soap and water, or with alcohol-based sanitizer if you don’t have soap and water handy
• Try not to touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, as germs spread that way
• Stay home if you get sick
• Follow advice from your local public health authorities
Stock up on a few extra supplies in case someone in the family gets sick
While it hopefully won’t be necessary, it’s probably a good idea to stock up on a few supplies in case you need to hunker down for a few days. For example, if someone in your family gets sick, you may need to stay inside until everyone in the house is feeling better in order to prevent germs from spreading to others. Non-perishable food and medications (particularly prescription medications) would be the most important supplies to have.
