Health and Wellness Review

You've undoubtedly heard about H1N1 flu, now that Mexico has an outbreak, the US has declared a health emergency, and the World Health Organization has raised us to Level 5 alert for the first time ever. Though the US only just saw the first fatality, the situation in Mexico has officials understandably worried.

How can you help protect yourself? If you're not willing to quarantine yourself, here are a few tips to stay healthy.

• Wash your hands frequently. Use hand sanitizer if water is not available.
• Avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes; the virus can enter your body this way.
• Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze to protect those around you.
• If you feel even the most mild flu symptoms, stay home!
• If you're sick, take care not to expose others. Call your physician before showing up at the office. You can be contagious for 7 days after you get sick (or 1 day after you feel better, whichever is longer). If you feel ill, you should stay home for 1 week.
• As with any contagion, you're more likely to be exposed when you're around crowds. If you're worried, you may minimize the time spent in public places with large groups of people.

For the most current info, visit theCDC's Swine Flu information center or the government's Pandemic Flu information center.

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