The ‘Handy’ Way to Prevent the Flu

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Do you know that you can actually catch the flu with your hands? And during a time when the flu is at its height, having a ‘handy’ hygiene is more important than ever.

Influenza is a short-lived viral ailment that is caused by any of the three classifications of the influenza virus – A, B and C. While it is associated with many symptoms such as high fever, pain in the muscles and joints, serious malaise or the general sensation of feeling unwell and headache, influenza is primarily a respiratory illness which means that it begins in the lungs. Normally, dry cough, runny nose and sore throat accompany the previously mentioned symptoms.

As with any other respiratory ailments, influenza is transmitted via exhaled droplets when an infected person sneezes or coughs. Influenza infection can also acquire if a person touches an object that has been contaminated with the virus. Everyone can develop influenza, but there are certain segments of the population that are more susceptible. Influenza vulnerability is higher among infants younger than two years old, the elderlies 65 and up and individuals with fragile immune systems.

With this, infectious disease specialists assert that people can best protect themselves against the flu by taking precautions handy precautions including frequent hand washing, surface cleaning and vaccination.

Hand washing is not nearly enough

When doctors say ‘frequent hand washing,’ they means frequent. Some of the prescribed times to wash ones hands include: before and after eating; before and after preparing food; after using the bathroom or changing diapers; after sneezing or coughing and finally, after taking care of a someone sick.

But a handy hygiene does not stop with frequent hand washing. The surfaces that your hands come in contact with are also very important. The flu normally spreads via air droplets expelled from the mouth of an infected person when he talks, coughs, or sneezes. These air droplets often land on hands and frequently touched surfaces such as doors, table tops, door knobs, desks and others. The bad news is, the flu virus can live for two hours or even longer on these environmental surfaces.

In short, a person could become sick if he or she touches that surface and then touches his or her own eyes, mouth, or nose. Hand washing and surface disinfection go hand in hand in preventing the flu from spreading. 

The Handiest Way to Prevent Influenza

But more than frequent handwashing and surface cleaning, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), say that the handiest way to prevent influenza is through vaccination. For them, it is the single, most effective way to prevent the flu.

A flu shot will protect an individual against three types of influenza virus that medical experts think will be the most prevalent in a given year and is given before the flu season.

There are two kinds of influenza vaccine: the flu shot and the nasal spray flu vaccine. The main difference between the two is that the flu shot covers more age group (from 6 months old to 65 and older) since it has more formulations compared to the nasal spray vaccine (can only be given to children who are two years of age and adults up to 49 years old). The nasal spray flu vaccine is also not given to pregnant women.

Unlike other vaccines, influenza vaccines do not offer lifetime protection and should be given on a yearly basis. The rationale behind this is that influenza viruses mutate slightly year on year. The prevalence of several strains also changes – one type may be more aggressive this year and another can infect more on the following year. Influenza vaccines may be some of the most dynamic and ever-changing to give people optimal protection.

The vaccine is 90% effective in preventing influenza among adults and 91% effective among infants. It can also curtail influenza-related deaths among the 65 and up age group by 80%. When at least 8 out of 10 people are vaccinated against influenza, herd immunity is generated which makes viral transmission more difficult.

Ideally, every person should get annual vaccination. Unlike other vaccines that give perpetual immunity, the protection a flu shot offers is only good for one year.

Why? One reason that enabled influenza to withstand the change of time is its ability to slightly mutate into a somewhat different form. Further, new influenza virus strains continue to surface. This happens when a type of influenza virus which infects animals suddenly extends to humans or when a human influenza virus combines with an animal influenza virus. Seasonality is another contributing factor why influenza has been here since time immemorial. A strain of influenza which is active this year may be inactive the following year and be active again two years after.

Protection Goes Hand-in-hand

Indeed, the best protection against influenza can happen when preventive vaccination, hand washing and surface cleaning goes hand-in-hand. With these handy precautions, a flu-free family is now in your hands.

 

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