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Important! Please note: The information in this article has been updated to reflect the latest swine flu information. Link here.
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How can I protect myself and my family from the swine flu?
Follow some common sense protections emphasized for any flu, including seasonal flu:
- Keep your hands washed and sanitized.
If you touch something that may carry the infection, then avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
If you can't wash your hands frequently, then use hand sanitizers to keep the germs at bay.
- Avoid being near others who might be sick to avoid breathing droplets they have sneezed or coughed, or touching something they have touched.
- When you greet others, consider not shaking their hands or hugging or kissing them during this time. Those are generally courtesies. You might even explain that you are doing them a favor! They'll respect you for it.
- If you have travel plans, do some due diligence and consider changing plans if you will be traveling to an area where cases of swine flu, even possible cases of swine flu, have been identified. The CDC issues travel advisories.
- Plan ahead. Plan for the possibility that you or your children (meaning, you, too) might get the swine flu, including the fact that you may need to stay home from work or school. If it seems like people at work or school have an upper respiratory illness, even if they have not identified it as swine flu, you may want to consider staying home, too.
- A vaccine became available in Fall 2009, although is in short supply until later in the year.
Can I get the swine flu from eating pork?
No. The swine flu virus is not contained in pork meat. This is another myth.
Why do I see people on the TV news wearing masks over their nose and mouth?
In areas where any virus is running rampant, they hope to protect themselves from breathing any droplets of virus that might be left in the air from someone who sneezed or coughed. Health officials are not sure whether those masks are helpful or not, but they certainly can't hurt.
Should I be afraid of swine flu?
Fear is not called for. A healthy respect is. Learn about reasons not to fear swine flu, and Swine Flu Myths.
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Return to: General Questions About Swine Flu and How It Could Affect You
Or read: Should You Fear Swine Flu? or Swine Flu Myths: Facts, Fiction and Fraud.
Additional Swine Flu Information:
Master List of Swine Flu Resources
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Important! Please note: The information in this article has been updated to reflect the latest swine flu information. Link here.
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References:
