A current newspaper article prompted this notification. Several senior Texas State Health Officials warned that this year’s national Flu season was going to be worse than usual. Deaths from flu have been as high as 49,000 in very bad seasons. About 80% of deaths are in the over 65 age group. All but especially the elderly should get immunized. There are several vaccines available. The best for older folks is the high-dose type. It has 4 times the material to promote immunity as the other types. Get with the program.
Other preventative actions are straightforward but rarely become part of people’s defenses. Frequent hand washing and use of sanitizing wipes or solutions are important when out of your home. I keep sanitizing wipes in the car and use them when I have been shaking hands a lot and sanitizing solution sets in the garage. During flu season, I open public doors and touch public handrails with the non-dominate hand and always hand-wash before eating. Wash your hands properly. Concentrate on your fingers because that is where the most infective organisms are located and where most of the contamination occurs. Surgeons scrubbing spend the majority of scrub time on the fingers.
Since water droplets can carry for over 10 feet from an uncovered cough and further from a sneeze, one should keep their distance from someone extruding potentially infectious material.
Good manners mean that when ill with flu-like symptoms one should remain at home. One should cough or sneeze into their sleeve. However, these mannerly considerations are often overlooked or simply escape measures to be contained. During flu season, carry a handkerchief to politely cover your nose when being close to a cougher is unavoidable.
