10 Swine Flu Safety Dos and Don'ts

10 Swine Flu Safety Dos and Don'ts


Should you strap on a face mask, keep your kid off the schoolbus, or start an emergency food stash? Here, the panicky woman's guide to navigating the swine flu hype.
By Lauren Gelman

After a few days of non-stop swine flu coverage, many of us are starting to feel a bit panicky: Is this just media hype, or should we really be worried? Is there anything else I should be doing to keep my family safe? After all, when Vice President Joe Biden declares he's told his family to stop flying and avoid subways because of swine flu fears, why shouldn't you do it too?

To find out what's really worth the worry—and what's a waste of your time—we talked Dos and Don'ts with Myron S. Cohen, MD, director of the Institute of Global Health and Infectious Disease at UNC Chapel Hill. "Overall, it's about doing what makes you comfortable, as long as it's not crazy," he says. Here's what else he had to say:

DO:

Germ-proof your skin: Wash your hands well and often. Not every 10 minutes, but when it makes sense, like after using the bathroom, touching common objects at work—like the microwave or printer—or returning home from the grocery store. Use warm water and soap, and rub your hands together for about 20 seconds.

Pack Purell in your kid's backpack: The classic germ-killer can be 99% effective in 20 seconds, says Cohen. Slathering it on throughout the day can minimize the chance that your child will transmit potential germs on his hands to his mouth and nose, where the virus enters the body. Keep a bottle in your purse too.

Keep your distance. "Critical closeness—less than 6 to 10 feet—is required to catch airborne viruses," explains Cohen. That means avoiding close contact with people who are coughing or sneezing, but it doesn't mean you should hole up at home and never go out in public until the swine flu passes.

Call the doctor if you think it's flu. "Some people think everything that's an infection is the flu, but there's actually a very specific cluster of symptoms to worry about," he says. These include:

· Almost always: Fever, cough, muscle aches, and headaches
· Sometimes: Runny nose, red eyes, nausea and vomiting

Take the right meds: Antivirals like Tamiflu will only help if you actually have the flu. They're most effective in the first 2 days of illness onset, so if you have suspicious symptoms, call your doctor right away. Your doctor may also recommend a fever-reducer like Tylenol or an NSAID like ibuprofen for muscle pain relief.

Remember, never give aspirin to children or teens with the flu (or any virus); this can cause a rare but serious condition called Reye's Syndrome.

DON'T:

· Skip public transportation or cancel air travel: "I think this is going overboard for right now," says Cohen, despite VP Biden's advice to the contrary. "Remember, at this point only .0001% of the population has swine flu."

· Keep your kid out of school. Schools with individual cases are being closed. If you live in a community or state with no instances of swine flu, there's no need to keep your child home.

· Banish the schoolbus. Wondering whether it's safer to chauffeur your child to school yourself? Don't feel like you have to, says Cohen. "If it makes you feel more comfortable, there's no downside, but this not something I'd recommend yet."

· Stock up on face masks. The CDC has said they're not necessary for people who don't work in healthcare jobs, and Cohen agrees. "Wear a face mask if you have swine flu, so the virus is contained better. For the rest of us, you're much better off just focusing on hand washing and avoiding people who are visibly sick."

· Start an emergency food and water stash. "That is crazy, crazy, crazy," he says. "You have to be rational about this. There's no evidence that we are going to have influenza so vast and out of control that we have to shut down grocery stores. There is nothing to support this."


More ways to stay healthy:

· 11 Best Ways to Stop Flu Spread
· Swine Flu 101: Everything to Know About Prevention, Spotting Symptoms, and More
· Power Foods that Boost Immunity