Preventing the Flu: Good Health Habits Can Help Stop Germs
Avoid close contact.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your
distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
Stay home when you are sick.
Stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. Keep sick children
at home. You will help prevent others from catching the illness.
Cover your mouth and nose.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Throw the
tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often.
Washing your hands and the hands of your children often will help protect you
from germs.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated
with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
Practice other good health habits.
Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of
fluids, and eat nutritious food.
There is no vaccine available at this time for the current outbreak of the Swine Flu virus, so it is important for
people living in the affected areas to take steps to prevent spreading the virus to others. If people are ill, they should
stay at home and limit contact with others, except to seek medical care. Healthy residents living in these areas
should take the everyday preventive actions listed above.
People who live in these areas who develop an illness with fever and respiratory symptoms, such as cough and
runny nose, and possibly other symptoms, such as body aches, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea, should contact their
health care provider. Their health care provider will determine whether influenza testing is needed.
Contact the Cook County Department of Public Health at 708-492-2000 if you have questions. For additional
information, visit the following web sites: www.cookcountypublichealth.org/swine_flu, www.idph.state.il.us, and
www.cdc.gov.
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