Five ways to protect yourself (and others) from swine flu
Experts say that the measures you should take to protect yourself from swine flu are not much different from the measures you may take to prevent seasonal flu.
1. Don't touch your face.
The most important thing is to keep your hands away from your eyes, mouth and nose, which are the ways for the virus to enter the respiratory tract, said Alison Arlo, an epidemiologist at the School of Public Health of the University of Michigan in ann arbor.
Step 2 wash your hands
Aiello said, if you have to touch your face, scrub your hands with hot soap and water in advance and get into nails and all the gaps for 20 to 30 seconds. "In addition to removing dirt that may contain virus particles, soap also contains surfactants (the main components of detergents), which will destroy the lipids [fats] that protect virus particles," she explained. Therefore, soap should be effective against all influenza viruses.
Step 3 use hand sanitizer
Is there no sink nearby? Arrow suggested using an alcoholic hand sanitizer. About a quarter of the size of the spot, wipe the whole hand until the disinfectant evaporates (usually 10 to 15 seconds), which should be enough. She pointed out that alcohol can inactivate the virus by destroying its protein structure.
4. Cover your nose and mouth
Louise Dembri, director of epidemiology at Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut, said that when someone sneezes or coughs, droplets carrying influenza virus can travel three feet (one meter) in the air and land on your nose or mouth, so it is best to keep at least one arm's length away from people with signs of infection. To protect others, she said, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, and then wash your hands. She pointed out that when viruses stay on skin or other surfaces such as keyboards and ground irons, they can remain contagious for several hours, if not longer.
Consider buying a mask in case you need it in the future.
Judging from the news photos, it seems that all people in Mexico wear surgical masks, but Aiello said that their effectiveness in preventing the spread of influenza remains to be determined. Some studies have shown that masks-whether surgical masks or N95 masks specially designed to filter water droplets containing viruses-can reduce the risk of catching influenza or other respiratory pathogens by 80%, but the research of Arrow's team shows that masks are almost ineffective unless they are used in combination with frequent hand washing.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, data on the effectiveness of masks and respirators in preventing the spread of influenza in the community are "extremely limited". However, the agency suggests that in areas where the spread of swine flu has been confirmed, when "crowded environment or close contact with others" cannot be avoided, people can consider using masks: use masks in crowded places and use respirators in close contact with people with respiratory infections (for example, taking care of sick family members).
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