The HINI and Other Flu Varieties
The cold and flu season approaches, and this year we have a new variation: The HINI virus. It appeared last spring, and now health officials worry that it might resurrect this fall. This is a serious virus. The United States Center for Disease Control (CDC) has issued guidelines and tips for protecting yourself from the flu. While no one can guarantee that you will not get it, you may reduce your risk by following a few simple precautions. Those of you who know me,know that,of course, I am going to tell you what those precautions might be. Flu Shots: Discuss with your parents and your physician. Learn the symptoms of Swine (HINI) Flu. The United States Center for Disease Control (CDC) tells us the HINI flu is most dangerous for young people and pregnant women. Remember that 36,000 people die each year in the U.S. from regular types of flu, along with hundreds of thousands world wide, so don’t be overly worried – just take sensible precautions. Ask your physician the conditions under which you should rush to an emergency room where you will be sitting with hundreds of other people who are also sick (and foolish to have put themselves at additional risk by being in an area crowded with sick people). Hospitals are required to treat everyone who comes through their doors, so they will be crowded with people who may not need to be there. I have read that the danger sign is if you are having difficulty breathing. Ask your physician.(see CDC above). This year, with the flu concerns abounding, you need to become obsessive about germs. Precautions You Can Take:Stay away from people who are sick or who complain of not feeling well. DON’T SHARE FOOD WITH OTHERS, and DON’T SHARE BEVERAGES. Try to avoid touching your face – mouth, nose, eyes. Stay away from anyone coughing, sneezing, who has a runny nose, sore throat, nausea, fever. Avoid Crowds Stay home if you are sick. Wash your hands frequently, and always wash them when you arrive at home from school, shopping, or any place where you touch things handled by others. Carry around a bottle of alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Do not use anti-bacterial hand wash lotion. Colds, Flu and Mononucleosis are viruses, not bacteria, and thus the germs are unaffected by anything anti-bacterial products. The Center for Disease Control recommends face masks. Colleges are recommending that students wear them when kissing. Other Common Sense SuggestionsNever touch anything in a public rest room or your dorm restrooms, (for the rest of your life, in fact). Too many people NEVER wash their hands. If you must touch anything in a rest room, only touch things before you wash your hands, this includes faucets. Don’t touch door handles without holding a paper towel in your hands and then throwing it in the receptacle. If you grocery shop, use those disinfectant towels located near the grocery cart section to wipe down the handles of the cart. Wash your hands after grocery shopping, and wipe down cans and packages; items handled by others can carry pin worm eggs – a common parasite in children, let alone any germs carried around by all the people who have handled the item before you picked it up. Use the “Heated Dry” feature on dishwashers. I have read that the only way to kill germs on dishes is to dry them on high heat, so hit the heat button.
Same old, same old, but improve your resistance to disease by eating properly and by getting adequate rest. You can help yourself in this area by using better time management skills to organize your obligations.
Try to Keep up with your Work While RecoveringDon’t come to tutoring when you are sick. I will be working to keep this environment as germ free as possible, since it is teenagers and college students who are the most at risk. To keep up with your classes while you are at home, we can set up online tutoring sessions, using SuperCoolSchool on Facebook, at my regular fee. Return to Top of HINI-Flu College Immunizations and Vaccinations Everything About College Home Page
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