KEEP THE FLU AWAY

Can you believe that healthy adults can die from flu complications days after their symptoms begin? That’s because there are always the dominant flu viruses circulating the season and cause acute symptoms such as fever, joint aches, a runny nose, a sore throat and coughing. It can be transmitted to everyone. Unfortunately, the flu can cause very serious lung diseases or a bacterial infection that can be deadly, especially among those with a high risk of flu-related complications. To be more specific, people who are pregnant, have asthma or suffer from other chronic conditions are at more risk. Even in the best-case scenarios, it is bad to get the flu. Here are the best ways to avoid contracting it.

1. Flu shot. When you get a flu shot, your body can protect you from the most common virus strains according to CDC, which stands for Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. You may still catch other types of flu, but the results will be very different. For example, it will be less severe, you won’t develop any lung diseases or be put on a ventilator to support breathing. They won’t take care of you in the intensive-care unit, and you will not die from the flu. The best period to get your shot is the end of October because the flu season peaks between November and March, but still you can get vaccinated any time because the virus can continue to spread until May.

2. Stay away from someone who’s coughing or sneezing. The flu virus is a parasite, and it gets transmitted through the air in small droplets. When an ill person sneezes or coughs, this virus can fly about three feet before falling due to gravity. A flu patient can contaminate the air you breathe when they sneeze or cough. It is difficult to guess when a person who sneezes has the flu or not. It is better to stay away from people who have suspicious symptoms.

3. Keep your hands away far from your mouth and nose. The virus doesn’t infect the skin, but it has to take a journey to your mouth or nose to cause an infection. Therefore, when you touch a contaminated surface you risk getting ill easily.

4. Clean common areas at least once a day. The flu virus can stay active for about 24 hours on any space. In general, all household surfaces are going to be contaminated with the flu virus if you’re living with someone who has the flu. Some people that become infected show no symptoms, yet they still spread the disease. That’s why you’d better clean common surfaces at least once a day using any normal cleaner. You should do this even when no one in your household is ill.