H1N1 R Not Us. Yet.

Are you sick? Are your kids sick?

These seem to be the most asked questions around my town lately. And, for the record, we've all been pretty healthy. Thank-you for asking.

But because everyone has been talking about the flu and the H1N1 vaccine, I've been doing some research on the internet to try and figure out what, if anything, I need to do to keep my family healthy.

I've found some interesting stuff. Here's what most sites seem to be recommending.

1. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and throw the tissue out. Cough into your upper sleeve if you don't have a tissue.

Okay, I get this but does anyone actually remember to do this? Me? I was trained to cover my mouth with my hand when I sneeze. It's what I still do. Actually now I usually remember half-way through my sneeze that I'm supposed to be sneezing into my sleeve and so I now, when I remember, quickly move my hand away from my mouth just fast enough to sneeze into my uh, arm.  Great. Yes, as a matter of fact I now do carry lots of anti-bacterial wipes around in my purse. Sigh.

2. Avoid large crowds of people where viruses can spread easily.

Um, can you say three Christmas concerts? Yep, in the next two weeks we have three children's Christmas concerts to attend. Each concert will be held in an overheated crowded auditorium and yes, we'll probably be shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of coughing sick people. Yep, we're doomed.

3. Keep an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (gel or wipes) handy at work, home and in your car. It needs to be at least 60% alcohol to be effective.

Yes, I went and bought these and they are now somewhere in my purse. As a matter of fact they are lost down in that pit along with my car keys. Please let me know if you find either. Thanks.

4. Keep common surfaces and items clean and disinfected.

Hallelujah! The GOVERNMENT is now telling me to keep my house clean. Kids, are you reading this? Can I now threaten my teens with jail time if they don't clean up after themselves? Please?

5. Get both seasonal and H1N1 flu shots.

Okay, we did this. Points for me, but the story behind it? Well, that's a whole other post.

Sigh.

Seriously though, do you want to know more? This is the place I gathered my information from.

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/ccom/flu/

Stay healthy, my friends....

Oh, and I have small print today too....
I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central and received a Mom Central gift pack to thank me for taking the time to participate.

www.MomCentral.com :)

Comments

[Kathy]

I quickly learned to sneeze into my elbow. But that might be because I'm a teacher and have to remind the kids a million times. But I started doing that before this whole H1N1 thing started.

[Cindy]

Glad to hear you are all healthy! We have been fighting something or another since right before school started...oh yay.

Wanted to mention that right before school started, I think it was Staples had the small Purell hand sanitizers that came with a little strap to hook it to your keys, straps, etc. SO very handy, I'm constantly refilling it.

And, yes, I was also trained to cover my sneezes and coughs with my hand. I usually use the back of my hand, but ever have a really horribly big sneeze and try to do it in your elbow? It hurts.

[Holly (me.)]

*sigh* We've already had the H1N1 flu here in Pleasant Suburb. I think that was where October went anyway.

[Michael Montague]

How come no one does the story about the new sanitizers on the market which are alcohol-free? There are new products that kill 3 times the germs, work up to 30 minutes, and they are safer to use than alcohol. This one is my favorite: http://www.cleanphirst.com/store/alcohol_free_foam_hand_sanitizer.asp

[Fannie]

Oof - we've been OK so far. Even after four days with twenty-month-old germ magnets!