5 ways to protect yourself from the flu

It’s that time of year again where everyone is sniffing, sick, throwing vaccines around in an attempt to keep everyone from catching a cold during the holidays. Every fall, we Canadians head to the clinics where we get vaccinated to protect ourselves from the coming flu.

And this usually lasts from November to March. “From what we’ve seen in the southern hemisphere, we should expect a moderate flu season and we shouldn’t get too obsessed with disease and germs,” ​​shared Dr. Evans.

What should we expect from this year’s flu epidemic?

“There are no signs that we should expect severe colds this year. But many people are still expected to be hospitalized because of their symptoms and complications,” added e Dr. Evans. Global News asked experts for their advice on how to protect ourselves from germs and the diseases that come with them.

1. Cover your mouth in public

When you’re on a crowded flight, waiting in line, or just taking the subway to work, wear a scarf. Wrap it around your mouth to protect yourself from all the airborne viruses, and you won’t look like a maniac who has a phobia of everything.

2. Wash your hands for at least 30 seconds

During the enterovirus outbreak, Dr. Louis Giles, a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Chicago, reminded all parents of the importance of washing their children’s hands, and your own too.

This also applies to flu season. “We know that germs are everywhere on our hands, and with a good wash with soap and warm water, we can reduce their numbers dramatically,” Giles recommends.

3. Sneeze and cough into your elbow

If you sneeze into the crook of your elbow, you’re less likely to infect others than if you sneeze into your palms, experts say. “People don’t have contact with that part of the body,” Evans explained. Don’t worry about germs on your clothes, they will be absorbed into the fabric and won’t cause infection.

4. Stay home

Gilles also reminds parents to think about other people’s children too. If your child is sick, don’t send him to school. Last year, Ontario’s medical organization asked all Canadians to keep their children at home.

Then they asked the principals to stop asking for apology notes for a while, because you have to be careful with children, because of their extreme sociability, bacteria often jump from one carrier to another, and so the flu becomes widespread.

5. Get a flu shot

One of the best ways to protect yourself from the flu is to roll up your sleeves and head to your local health clinic for a flu shot of any type. Evans says that only 20-25% of people are immunized, and according to health workers, at least 40% are affected each year.

Evans also added that if at least 75% of the population of a given area is immunized, the so-called collective immunity will appear. People will drastically reduce the chance of succumbing to infection, and even if one person is not vaccinated, and most of the people around him are, the risk of transmitting viral germs will be very small.

“Everyone says there’s no problem until there really is a problem. We all feel healthy, but what immunization gives us far exceeds any capabilities of our immune system.” – shared the Canadian doctor.