How to Prevent Getting H1N1 Flu or Swine Flu

On June 10, 2009 the World Health Organization finally raised the level of concern about the H1N1 Flu to a level 6. H1N1 Flu has become the first 21st century flu pandemic. WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan was quoted as saying "With today's announcement, WHO moves from an emergency to a longer-term response. Based on past experience, this pandemic will be with us for some months, if not years, to come."

Now that the H!N1 flu has become an official global epidemic and claimed many lives, many people are likely to become anxious that they might catch the H1N1 flu otherwise known as the Swine Flu.

The CDC reminds us that the "WHO's decision to raise the pandemic alert level to Phase 6 is a reflection of the spread of the virus, not the severity of illness caused by the virus."

There are several very simple things one can do to prevent or minimize your chances of getting the swine flu and the regular flu.

These include finding out more about the illness from reliable sources, learning how serious swine flu is, learn what can be done prevent it, discovering what symptoms to watch for and when to seek additional treatment.

Also included is some interesting information about the history of Swine Influenza and Swine Flu as a Zoonosis or an infectious disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans.

Image Source: CDC. Swine Influenza in Pigs and People. Brochure.
Contents at a Glance
Four Key Steps to Prevent Getting the H1N1 Flu
Staying Healthy During the H1N1 Season
Keeping Students (and others) Healthy During the H1N1 Season
Resources to Help Stay Healthy During the H1N1 Season
Have Some Fun Learning about the H1N1 Flu
The H1N1 Rap
more...
Four Key Steps to Prevent Getting the H1N1 Flu
The four key things to do that will help in preventing you from getting the H1N1 Flu or Swine Flu:

1. Wash Your Hands
2. Cover Your Cough
3. Don't Touch Your Face
4. Stay Away from People Who are Sick

If you do get sick, stay home so you won't pass it on to anyone else.

Source: CDC H1N1 Flu.
Staying Healthy During the H1N1 Season
Keeping Students (and others) Healthy During the H1N1 Season
These recommendations for keeping students healthy during H1N1 outbreak come from my friend, Dr. Jennifer Shu of CNN.com:

1. Follow healthy basic hygiene practices.
Encourage students to wash their hands or use a hand sanitizer frequently and to avoid touching the eyes, nose and mouth, where germs can easily enter the body.

2. Keep surfaces clean.
Use a disinfectant to clean commonly shared surfaces at least daily and when visibly soiled.

3. Keep sick students at a distance.
Try spacing desks as far apart as possible to avoid close contact between students. It may also be helpful, especially for individuals at high risk for complications from the flu, to stay at least 6 feet away from sick people.

4. Go home.
Sick students and teachers should go home or stay home if they are too ill to participate in classroom activities. In addition, they should not return until any fever has been gone for at least 24 hours.

5. Follow the latest health recommendations.
H1N1 guidelines may be a moving target since it is still not well known how the virus will affect individuals and communities.

6. Play down perfect attendance.
Some kids (and parents) try so hard for an end-of-the-year perfect attendance award that it can be tempting to go to school even for a few hours to avoid being counted as "absent."

7. Promote home-based learning.
If children feel well enough to study while they're recovering, send some schoolwork home or use an online learning program so they can keep up with lessons.


Source: Dr. Jennifer Shu. CNN.com
Resources to Help Stay Healthy During the H1N1 Season
How can I keep my students healthy during H1N1 outbreak? - CNN.com
I'm an elementary school teacher and am worried about H1N1 flu. What can I do to try to keep my students and myself healthy?
How can I keep my family healthy if one of us has H1N1? - CNN.com
My son was found to have H1N1 flu and has to stay home from school. How can we keep the rest of the family from getting sick?
H1N1: Fighting Swine Flu - Special Report from CNN.com
Resources on the Swine or H1N1 Flu from CNN.com
CDC H1N1 Flu | Resources for K-12 Schools
Resources for keeping students healthy during the H1N1 season from the CDC Home Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.