Flu Season Update

By Sarah Mahoney for Your Family Today

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If you’re like most Americans, you have swine on your mind: A recent study from the Harvard School of Public Health found that three out of five people think flu outbreaks will be widespread in the coming months, and half of us believe someone in our family will catch the virus. “It’s worrying me,” says Rebecca Rodskog, a New York City life coach and mom, who says staying up-to-date on health precautions makes her feel better. “We’re washing our hands all the time,” she says, “and plan to get flu shots for our son and daughter. We’ve stocked up on hand sanitizers, and I’ll admit it, I’ve even got some of those disposable masks, just in case.”

But while swine flu, also called novel H1N1, may be highest on many people’s radar, experts say this is also an ideal time to protect your family from all kinds of colds and bugs in the coming season:

Take the flu seriously While no one is sure what will happen with H1N1, regular seasonal flu is nothing to sneeze at. About 10 to 20 percent of Americans get the flu each year, says the American Academy of Family Physicians. Each year, about 200,000 are hospitalized, and some 36,000 die. Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, headache, muscle aches and tiredness. While most people feel better after a week or two, it can lead to more serious illnesses, like pneumonia.

Get your shots in “The best thing to do is to make sure your children get an annual flu vaccine,” says Sidna Scheitel, M.D., a primary care physician and medical director of Mayo Clinic Global Products and Services. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a yearly flu vaccination for all children ages 6 months to 19 years, she says -- ideally given in October or November, before the flu season begins. Seasonal flu shots are already available, and the H1N1 shots are expected to be ready by mid-October. Too busy to make an appointment for yourself? Drug store chains have scheduled clinics, and many allow you to walk right in.

Wash your hands Flu and colds are carried by tiny respiratory droplets that cover surfaces of public areas. We pick up the germs on our hands and bring them home: Microbiologists say that as a result, the high-touch areas of our homes -- doorknobs, faucets, phones, TV remotes, computers, light switches and countertops -- are crawling with them. Teach kids to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, use hand sanitizers when they can’t wash up, sneeze into their elbows and keep their hands away from their faces.

Go shopping It’s smart to make sure your home is stocked with two weeks of food, tissues, plenty of fever-reducing medications, a working thermometer and favorite cold remedies. (Board games and jigsaw puzzles will also be helpful.) That way, if there are widespread outbreaks, you can avoid going out in public. And if you do, you won’t be alone: The Harvard survey found that 90 percent of Americans say they’d be willing to avoid places like shopping malls for periods of up to two weeks.

Stand back Schools will be looking at ways to control how many kids sit together, says Sandi Delack, a registered nurse and president of the National Association of School Nurses, “since the more people you have in a room, the greater the risk.” In the event of a flu outbreak, they may cancel assemblies, sporting events or dances -- or even close the school completely. Adults may want to exercise the same kind of “social distancing” by curtailing trips to the mall, movie theater or supermarket until the outbreak passes.

Stay home Even workaholics should think twice before going to work when they feel punk, and it’s especially important to send children back to bed if you think they may be ill. “Kids should be kept out of school if they have a fever of over 100 in conjunction with a cough or a sore throat,” says Delack. “And they should stay home until they are fever-free without fever-reducing medication for 24 hours.” It requires a little more vigilance but will make everyone feel better. “If my kid isn’t feeling well, we’re not doing that playdate,” says Rodskog. “It’s just about being aware and socially responsible.”

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Sarah Mahoney is a contributing editor at Parents and Prevention magazines. Her work also appears regularly in Family Circle and Good Housekeeping.