I feel like I’m trying hard enough to stay on top of everything in my life, the LAST thing I need is the FLU to slow me down and cause me to fall behind in my classes.
In addition to plethora of swine flu cases we hear about every time we turn on the TV, students especially are prone to colds, mono, and other viruses simply because we’re highly active, our immune systems may not yet be fully developed, and, let’s face it – we share a lot with our friends. Come on, I know I’m not the only one who’s taken a sip from my buddy’s water bowl.
How to combat the dreaded cold and flu season? I decided to go straight to my school nurse to find out.
“PREVENTION is the best medicine, Clyde!” she told me. Here are a few tips she gave me to stay ahead of the game AND to make sure I don’t pass along unwanted germs to my friends, either.
1. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
2. Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol based hand cleaners are also effective.
3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
4. Try to avoid close contact with sick people. Duh!
5. Stay home if you are sick until at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever of 100°F (without the use of a fever reducing medicine).
6. Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.
She also gave me these great websites for more information and tips: Flu.gov and CDC.gov.
And you know what else I found out? “Immunity is the best defense against getting sick, so it is also important to make sure you stay healthy with exercise and a healthy diet,” the nurse said.
Exercise I can handle, what a great excuse to enjoy the great outdoors! Healthy diet? I may need to work on that one…lunch handouts from my foster siblings probably aren’t what the doctor ordered.
Be well!
Woof,
Clyde
