Flu Update as of January 25th
Sorry Vermont, but this week flu reached your state which has been flu free until now. The flu is active in all of the 50 U.S. States and officials continue to urge common sense and proactive prevention. Wash your hands and limit your exposure to people who are infected!
- Localized Outbreaks (18 states*)
- Alabama
- Florida
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Washington DC
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Regionalized Outbreaks (17 states)
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Connecticut
- Georgia
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Maryland
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Nebraska
- New Mexico
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Washington State
- Widespread Outbreaks (6 states)
- New Jersey
- Virginia
- Hawaii
- Colorado
- New York
- Texas
- Sporadic Outbreaks
- All states not listed above
*Including the District of Columbia
This is a good time to review handwashing techniques and things you can do to avoid catching the flu.
- Avoid close contact with people who have the flu.
- Don’t expose others - if you are sick STAY HOME!! You will get well faster this way too!
- Be polite! Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze! And use disposable tissues!
- Avoid touching your face - flu is spread through direct contact.
- WASH YOUR HANDS PROPERLY!!
Flu Update as of January 18th
As the old song says, “Everybody’s doing it!” And every state, save one, has had the flu hit. In simple terms, that means every time you leave your house, unless you live in Vermont, you are being exposed to the flu.
- Localized Outbreaks (15 states)
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Washington
- Regionalized Outbreaks (10 states)
- Massachusetts
- Connecticut
- New Jersey
- Montana
- Rhode Island
- Pennsylvania
- California
- Arkansas
- Arizona
- Alaska
- Widespread Outbreaks (4 states)
- Texas
- New York
- Hawaii
- Colorado
- Sporadic Outbreaks
- All states not listed above
This is a good time to review handwashing techniques and things you can do to avoid catching the flu.
- Avoid close contact with people who have the flu.
- Don’t expose others - if you are sick STAY HOME!! You will get well faster this way too!
- Be polite! Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze! And use disposable tissues!
- Avoid touching your face - flu is spread through direct contact.
- WASH YOUR HANDS PROPERLY!!
Check back here - I will have a weekly update on how the flu is progressing through the United States.
Handwashing Prevents Colds and Flu
Most of us know that cold and flu season is upon us; it seems everyone I know has a cold, bronchitis, or pneumonia. And of course the assorted laundry list of ear infections, tonsillitis, and sinus infections are in plentiful supply as well. Some of these infections are viral and some are bacterial. Some of them are inevitable; someone inadvertently sneezes in your face at the grocery store and they have a cold starting, your going to get it. But did you know that most of the infections, viral or bacterial, that we spread around in the community are avoidable?
How? By handwashing.
Most infections are caused by direct contact. The vast majority of the viruses and bacteria we encounter that make us sick, are not airborne. There is a common misconception about what an airborne contagion is and once you understand the difference between airborne and direct contact, you can avoid catching a lot of the things “going around.”
Most diseases are transmitted by methods such as a sneeze or a cough. They are direct contact because the germs are in the droplets which rest upon a surface, on the skin, or are directly inhaled or ingested. They then are “caught” by the next victim who gets sick from the exposure. Basically that is how a cold is transferred from one person to another. The subsequent ear and sinus infections, bronchitis, and most pneumonias are secondary infections; that is why two people can catch the same cold but one will develop an ear infection and the other will display the symptoms of bronchitis.
An airborne disease travels through moving currents of air and are comparatively rare. I am not an epidemiologist, and the study of airborne diseases is very complex and far too intensive for our purposes, but these are not the diseases that are contagious like colds and flu. One notable exception is Chicken Pox which once appearing in a community spreads very quickly. Tuberculosis is also an airborne disease but the contagion factors are quite different and involve several factors.
Back to handwashing. If most of the everyday colds and flus, and the complicating secondary infections that come along with them, are not airborne and are spread by direct contact, it follows that it is very easy to prevent these infections by consistent, thorough, and complete handwashing techniques. It is the simplest and the least expensive method of infection control that exists. It is also one of the most overlooked methods.
The Hand Hygiene Resource Center has been set up to teach people the appropriate method of handwashing. Effective handwashing can help contain infections and is the first step in protecting yourself and your family from the colds and flu spreading around your community. There are instructional materials on the site as well as a slide show that can be used to teach groups of people. The site also links to the CDC’s guidelines on handwashing for a complete resource to a healthier winter and flu season!