Tag Archives: face masks

DO YOU HAVE THE FLU BLUES?

We are smack-dab in the middle of flu season, and unless sick people stay at home until they feel much better, we are all potential candidates to catch this “bug.”  There are several types of influenza;  the seasonal flu activity usually peaks in January or February.  However, it can sneak up on you as early as October, until the month of May.  There are many precautions we can take to avoid being ill from this virus.  The best preventative measure is to get the flu vaccine.  

Vaccines vary according to the strain of flu that is prevalent every season.  However, the Centers for Disease Control provide the vaccine that is deemed proper for the expected type of flu that is anticipated to be widespread.  Everyone six months of age to the elderly should get this vaccine.  Those age 65 and older and children younger than age 2 are more likely to have complications from the flu. 

Flu viruses are a contagious respiratory illness.  It can cause mild to severe illness, and sometimes, the flu can lead to death.  At last report, in our state of Texas, twelve persons have died from complications of the flu.  One of those persons  lived in my small hometown, and was only 47 years old.  She had the swine flu.  Complications from the flu may be pneumonia and dehydration.  

When you are around someone who is sneezing, coughing, or talking to you, experts say that you are exposed to the flu because their germs land in your mouth or nose.  Yuk!  If you touch a surface or object that has the flu virus on it, and then touch your mouth, eyes, or nose, you hve found another way to contact the virus.  That’s why it is important to keep your hands clean.  Keep some hand sanitizer in your pocket or purse, and another container in your car.  Remember, when leaving a public restroom or any other public place, elevator, escalator, or using shared equipment in your place of work, watch what you touch,  and wash or clean your hands often.  (And stay away from anyone who is sick as much as possible.) 

Flu and the common cold have similar symptoms.  We want to help you understand the differences.  First, flu symptoms: 

  • Fever, body aches, cough, and fatigue.
  • A 100°F or higher fever, or feeling feverish (some persons with the flu do not run fever).
  • Runny or stuffy nose
  • Headaches and body aches
  • Cough or sore throat
  • Almost never causes upset stomach, except:
  • Nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea (most common in children)
  • Chills. 

Cold symptoms: 

  • Colds rarely cause fever or headaches.
  • Runny nose.
  • Stuffy nose.
  • Sneezing, coughing. 

The flu can be much worse than the common cold.  Seek medical attention immediately if you have any of the following: 

  • Sudden dizziness;
  • Confusion;
  • Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen;
  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath;
  • Seizures;
  • Purple or blue discoloration of the lips. 

If you think you have the flu, go to your doctor, who can test to see if your illness is the flu.  Please stay at home until you are completely over it.  Some of the flu-like symptoms can improve, but later come back with fever and a worse cough.  Avoid contact with your co-workers until you are well.  Your family members can use antibacterial spray and wipes to help avoid catching the flu, and if they have been vaccinated, this will be most  helpful.  Face masks can help both the patient and caregiver avoid those germs floating around in the air.  Face masks and latex gloves  are also very useful for persons with underlying health problems to use when traveling.

One additional clarification:  Stomach “flu” is really gastroenteritis, not the flu. 

Source:  Flu.gov                  NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

IT’S FLU SEASON: HAVE YOU HAD YOUR SHOT?

Although we at Texas America Safety Company and Blog4Safety focus on work-related safety most of the time, we feel it is our responsibility to warn y0u when health issues come up.  As most of you know, flu season is just around the corner, and for workers, it is a devestating issue when it spreads among workers.  Here are some facts from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention):

Influenza (Flu) Facts

  • Influenza (the flu) can be a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Anyone can get sick from the flu.
  • People with flu can spread it to others. Influenza viruses are spread mainly by droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are up to about 6 feet away or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. Less often, a person might get flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching their own mouth or nose.
  • Some people, such as older adults, pregnant women, and very young children as well as people with certain long-term medical conditions are at high risk of serious complications from the flu. These medical conditions include chronic lung diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, heart disease, neurologic conditions and pregnancy.
  • Since health care workers may care for or live with people at high risk for influenza-related complications, it is especially important for them to get vaccinated annually.
  • Most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick. Children may pass the virus for longer. Symptoms start 1 to 4 days after the virus enters the body. That means that you may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick. Some persons can be infected with the flu virus but have no symptoms. During this time, those persons may still spread the virus to others.
  • Annual vaccination is important because influenza is unpredictable, flu viruses are constantly changing and immunity from vaccination declines over time.
  • CDC recommends an annual flu vaccine as the first and best way to protect against influenza. This recommendation is the same even during years when the vaccine composition (the viruses the vaccine protects against) remains unchanged from the previous season.

Flu Vaccine Facts

  • The seasonal flu vaccine protects against the influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season. Traditional flu vaccines (called trivalent vaccines) are made to protect against three flu viruses; an influenza A (H1N1) virus, an influenza A (H3N2) virus, and an influenza B virus. In addition, this season, there are flu vaccines made to protect against four flu viruses (called “quadrivalent” vaccines). These vaccines protect against the same viruses as the trivalent vaccine as well as an additional B virus.
  • Flu vaccines CANNOT cause the flu. Flu vaccines that are administered with a needle are currently made in two ways: the vaccine is made either with a) flu vaccine viruses that have been ‘inactivated’ and are therefore not infectious, or b) with no flu viruses at all (which is the case for recombinant influenza vaccine). The nasal spray flu vaccine does contain live viruses. However, the viruses are attenuated (weakened), and therefore cannot cause flu illness. The weakened viruses are cold-adapted, which means they are designed to only cause infection at the cooler temperatures found within the nose. The viruses cannot infect the lungs or other areas where warmer temperatures exist.
  • Flu vaccines are safe. Serious problems from the flu vaccine are very rare. The most common side effect that a person is likely to experience is either soreness where the injection was given, or runny nose in the case of nasal spray. These side effects are generally mild and usually go away after a day or two. Visit Influenza Vaccine Safety for more information.

Cover your mouth with tissue if possible when sneezing or coughing.  The most important advice is to sneeze into your elbow if you must sneeze, and don’t have a tissue.  If you work in healthcare, wear a face mask and gloves when around patients with the flu or other contagious illness.  Keep hand sanitizer handy to kill germs when you aren’t near a lavatory.  It’s hard to know if you are coming down with the flu, as sometimes you feel well before you are aware that you may be contagious.  The main thing for those who work, is to please stay home when you are ill.

Most everyone is going to come in contact with germs either through shared office equipment, telephones, elevators, traveling by bus, plane, or cab.  Our children and teachers also are exposed through school germs.

We hope this year will be a “light” season for the flu!  Getting vaccinated will help.

Source: CDC