Prevent Flu: Steer Clear of Sick People

You've heard them -- flu-sick sneezers and coughers at the office, day care, shopping mall, or grocery store. Avoiding the flu is no small matter -- especially in the wake of the swine flu outbreak.

So what can you do? One sure flu prevention tip is to avoid close contact with people who are sick. Anyone who is at high risk from the seasonal flu -- like young children and older adults -- should avoid crowds and public places during the usual flu season, from late October to mid-March.

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• Is the H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine Safe?
• Swine Flu: 10 Things Not To Do
• CDC Swine Flu Updates

 

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"The honest truth is, in a large environment -- waiting rooms, airports, supermarkets -- it's very difficult to protect oneself from catching a virus," says Robert Schwartz, MD, chairman of family medicine at the University of Miami School of Medicine. "The last time I flew, the guy across from me was sneezing and coughing. I wondered if he had tuberculosis."

A good idea: Stock up on hand sanitizers, either gels or hand wipes. The alcohol helps kill all kinds of flu germs -- including swine influenza.

Making It Work in a Crowd: Your Kids vs. the Grocery Cart

When someone sneezes or coughs in your midst, you can try to protect yourself. "But covering your mouth or turning away doesn't really protect from microscopic airborne droplets," Schwartz says. "They travel through the air, and people breathe them in; they also land on clothes and hands. That's the mode of transmission."

These days, "people need to understand that they are part of the world at large," Schwartz tells WebMD. "They contribute to the spread of illness not only in their own family, but also in their community. People need to become socially conscious." That's especially true in the era of a potential swine flu epidemic.

Going out in public with young children poses its own risks, says Erica Brownfield, MD, a professor of internal medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. Like many small kids, her own daughter has a "thing" about putting her mouth on the grocery cart handle. "Who knows why?" Brownfield tells WebMD. "If you're worried about germs on the grocery cart, most grocery stores have wipes. Frequent hand washing is really the best thing you can do, especially when you've been in a public place."

At the gym, those sanitizing sprays will kill bacteria -- but she adds. "It doesn't hurt to use that, but I don't know how effective they are at killing flu germs. The biggest thing is washing your hands."

What about face masks? If you've been following the news coverage of the swine flu outbreak in Mexico, you've seen the crowds of people walking through the streets, their faces partly hidden by face masks. Will face masks or respirators work for swine flu prevention?

According to the CDC, it's not clear. On the whole, the benefits of face masks and respirators in preventing flu transmission aren't well established. So it's most important to stick to the proven prevention tips: wash your hands frequently and avoid contact with people who may be sick.