Combat flu with simple precautions

The number one story every night on the nightly news and frequently seen in the Rolla Daily News the past few weeks is the rising number of flu cases being reported across the country. Just this week the Phelps County R3 School District (Edgar Springs) had to close down because a large percentage of students came down with an influenza like illness.

Fortunately the Rolla Public Schools, Missouri University of Science and Technology and other schools and colleges in the area have not faced that scenario, and with more awareness and public education we can all help prevent the spread of flu in our community.

Margaret Donnelly, Director of the Department of Health and Senior Services, and Missouri’s top health official, said the H1N1 flu virus is circulating in our communities and people need to take action. She said any place people gather such as schools, offices, factories, government offices, etc., - need to plan now to help limit the spread of flu.

Donnelly said the spike in flu-like illness underscores the need for everyone to take basic steps to protect themselves from this virus. These are the simple, and most effective, ways of limiting the spread of flu:

• Use proper hand washing techniques. Wash hands frequently, especially before and after eating and after using the bathroom. If soap and water are not available, alcohol-based hand cleaners containing at least 60 percent alcohol are also effective.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the inside of your elbow – not your bare hands. Flu primarily spreads from person to person through the droplets produced by coughs and sneezes.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick, especially if you have a fever. Remain at home until at least 24 hours after your fever is gone. If you need to take medicine such as Tylenol or Advil to bring down your fever, you need to stay home.
• If you are caring for a person with the flu, try to isolate the person away from others. Try to maintain a distance of at least three to six feet to keep from inhaling the virus produced when the person coughs.
• Get a seasonal flu shot now.
• Schools, universities and employers should clean items that people often touch, such as desks, door knobs, computer keyboards and other hard surfaces. Use normal cleaning agents. No special cleaners are necessary.

For more info, please visit www.dhss.mo.gov, www.fighttheflumo.com, www.flu.gov, www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu, or www.phelpscountyhealth.com. While we are on the topic of health, I’d like to remind the community that the Phelps County Regional Medical Center will be hosting a Community Health Fair on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 9 a.m. to 12-noon at The Centre, Rolla’s Health and Recreation Complex, located at 1200 N. Holloway Street. Some of the free services will include PSA, cholesterol, general health info, diabetic education, body fat analysis, blood pressure checks, glucose, and more. The health fair is free and open to the public.