Back on Campus and Preventing the Flu

Wintertime FLU Awareness 

Cold and Flu season is here in Maryland and we’re reminding everyone to step-up their hygiene habits. 

Last year, Mount St. Mary’s University had NO reported cases of the H1N1 flu on campus and we hope to continue that streak this year.  The only insurance against an outbreak of the flu is consistent use of good hygiene. 

The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is reporting a dramatic rise in he amount of flu cases being reported across the state.  Experts continue to say the #1 way to prevent the contraction of the flu is through washing your hands.  Throughout the campus there are also dispensers and containers of hand sanitizer which everyone is urged to use liberally.

The Mount Wellness Center recommends everyone receive a flu shot.  To arrange, please contact them at 301-447-5288 or stop in during normal business hours.

 Other suggestions from the Centers for Disease Control:

What to do about the Flu:

Prevention:  Get a flu shot.  Call the Mount Wellness Center at 5288 and schedule an appointment to get this year’s flu shot or go to your family doctor. One shot protects you against all three main types of flu.

Questions and Answers on the Flu from the Centers for Disease Control:

What should I do to prepare for this flu season?

CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone as the first and most important step in protecting against this serious disease. While there are many different flu viruses, the flu vaccine is designed to protect against the three main flu strains that research indicates will cause the most illness during the flu season. The 2010-2011 flu vaccine will protect against three different flu viruses: an H3N2 virus, an influenza B virus and the H1N1 virus that caused so much illness last season. Getting the flu vaccine soon after it becomes available each year is always a good idea, and the protection you get from vaccination will last throughout the flu season.

See also:  Mount policies

Prevention:  http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/habits.htm

 Preventing the Flu: Good Health Habits Can Help Stop Germs

Fact Sheet

The single best way to prevent seasonal flu is to get vaccinated each year, but good health habits like covering your cough and washing your hands often can help stop the spread of germs and prevent respiratory illnesses like the flu. There also are flu antiviral drugs that can be used to treat and prevent the flu.

1.  Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

2. Stay home when you are sick.

If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.

3. Cover your mouth and nose.

4. Clean your hands.

5. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

6. Practice other good health habits…Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

Will new strains of flu circulate this season?

Flu viruses are constantly changing so it's not unusual for new flu virus strains to appear each year. For more information about how flu viruses change, visit “How the Flu Virus Can Change.” While not certain, it is likely that 2009 H1N1 viruses and seasonal viruses will cause illness in the U.S. during the 2010-2011 flu season.

When will flu activity begin and when will it peak?

The timing of flu is very unpredictable and can vary from season to season. Flu activity most commonly peaks in the U.S. in January or February. However, seasonal flu activity can occur as late as May.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/1011season.htm

MRSA Prevention:

http://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/prevent/personal.html

Protect yourself through good hygiene.

The key to preventing MRSA infections is for everyone to practice good hygiene:

Keep your hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand rub.

Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage until healed.

Avoid contact with other people’s wounds or bandages.

Avoid sharing personal items such as towels or razors.

Symptoms:  http://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/symptoms/index.html

Most MRSA infections are skin infections that may appear as pustules or boils which often are red, swollen, painful, or have pus or other drainage. They often first look like spider bites or bumps that are red, swollen, and painful. These skin infections commonly occur at sites of visible skin trauma, such as cuts and abrasions, and areas of the body covered by hair (e.g., back of neck, groin, buttock, armpit, beard area of men).