News
Swine Flu: Staying Healthy
Apr 28, 2009
As you and your family continue to watch the news to learn more about the swine flu outbreak, the South Central Mississippi Chapter of the American Red Cross is staying informed as well. You can be sure we are working with local and state officials to make sure you have the information you need.
The Red Cross and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are offering the following tips to ensure you stay healthy.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or sleeve when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
- Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
- If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
This is a good reminder to prepare for life’s emergencies. The Red Cross recommends you take this opportunity to prepare your family for any disaster by getting a kit, making a plan and being informed. More information is available at http://www.redcross.org/.
An excellent handout on influenza is posted here to print in English or Spanish. Feel free to distribute these in your neighborhood, church or workplace.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and counsels victims of disasters; provides nearly half of the nation's blood supply; teaches lifesaving skills; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its humanitarian mission. For more information, please call 601-582-8151, visit http://www.redcross.org/ or join our blog at www.redcrosschat.org.
