Influenza- How to Protect your Family

If you watch the news about the recent outbreaks of Influenza A H1N1-commonly known as swine flu you would think that millions are dying from it. Not true. There is an epidemic of this respiratory disease in Mexico and some cases have been isolated in the U.S. and overseas among recent travelers to Mexico but it isn't the terrible pandemic that some of the talk radio kooks would have us think it is. Up to today there have been the following # of cases in the U.S.:

State and # of laboratory confirmed cases

California 7 cases
Kansas 2 cases
New York City 28 cases
Ohio 1 case
Texas 2 cases
TOTAL COUNT 40 cases
International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health OrganizationExternal Web Site Policy.

The 28 cases in NYC are all at one school involving students who went on a Spring trip to Mexico. The CDC in Atlanta hsa ststed that the disease is well in hand and that the country has a plentiful supply of anti-viral drugs such as TamiFlu to fight the infection.

How To Protect Yourself

The best way to protect yourself from this and any other virus is to follow good hygiene and sanitation practices including frequent hand washing and covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.

Frequent washing of hands with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand sanitizers, especially after being out in-public is reccomendedand. You should avoid touching your mouth, nose or eyes with your hands unless you've washed your hands.

If people do cough, they should either cough into a tissue and throw it in the garbage immediately, cough into their elbow, or, if they cough in their hand, they should wash their hands immediately.