Guest post by Keri Peterson, MD. Dr. Keri Peterson is a spokesperson on behalf of The Clorox Company.
It can be hard to remember to practice good health guidelines while juggling a busy schedule. But with flu activity currently widespread in Ohio, it is more important than ever to follow simple steps to help prevent the spread of the flu virus.
Quick and Easy Flu Prevention Tips for Busy Moms
Whether you’re prepping for dinner guests at home or logging hours at the office, you can practice these quick and easy flu prevention tips to help keep your family healthier this flu season:
Get the Flu Shot: First and foremost, make sure you get the flu shot! Vaccination is the first step in prevention.
Wash Hands Frequently: Wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds, and teach your kids to do the same. A good way to make hand washing fun and effective is to do it while singing the “Happy Birthday” song twice.
Disinfect Germ Hot Spots: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends disinfecting surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like the flu. It is important to wipe germ hot spots around the house that are touched most frequently – like doorknobs, light switches, TV and game controllers, faucets, high chairs or plastic toys – with a household disinfectant, like Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes, which kills 99.9% of germs* that can live on hard non-porous surfaces for up to 48 hours.
Do the Elbow Cough: Make sure to cough and sneeze into your elbow instead of your hands to help prevent the spread of germs by touch.
Stay Home When Sick: According to a national survey** funded by The Clorox Company, nearly one-third of employees “tough it out” and go to work when they’re under the weather. Remember to stay home from work when you are sick to help prevent spreading germs to your co-workers.
Follow Good Health Guidelines: Eat right, exercise and get plenty of sleep to help boost your body’s ability to fight the effects of colds and flu.
The CDC reports that flu activity can occur as late as May, so it’s important to incorporate these simple tips into your routine now to help keep your family healthier for the rest of flu season!
* Staphilococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli O157:H7 And Influenza A virus.
**About the Survey
These results are based on a survey conducted using Ipsos, a global market research company. This study reached a national sample of 1,161 American adults ages 18 and older. The margin of error for the total sample is ±3.0% at the 95% confidence level. This means that if we were to replicate the study, we would expect to get the same results (within 3.0 percentage points) 95 times out of 100.
Keri Peterson, MD
Dr. Keri Peterson has been in private practice with a prominent medical group on the Upper East Side of Manhattan since 1999, and she is a member of the American College of Physicians and the American Medical Association. With a demonstrated commitment to the advancement of medicine, she has several publications in leading medical and scientific journals. Dr. Peterson is a medical contributor and columnist for Women’s Health Magazine and is a regular guest on The Today Show.
