{"id":1135,"date":"2020-03-02T15:30:45","date_gmt":"2020-03-02T08:30:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/illume-emag.com\/?p=1135"},"modified":"2022-01-12T16:59:00","modified_gmt":"2022-01-13T00:59:00","slug":"stop-virus-spreading","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/stop-virus-spreading\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Stop a Virus From Spreading"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your best defense and offense in protecting yourself and others<\/strong><\/p>\n

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No one likes being sick, and it can be equally miserable \u2013 if not worse \u2013 if your kiddos are sick too. Plus it seems like every cold and flu season gets worse with one superbug announcement after another. It\u2019s enough to make anyone ask \u2013 how do we stop this madness?!<\/p>\n

Here are some ways to increase your odds of beating the crud and to help protect yourself and others.<\/p>\n

Soap, water, repeat<\/strong>
\nThe spreading of any sort of virus begins and ends with handwashing (or lack thereof).<\/p>\n

And yes we know \u2013 that sounds ridiculously obvious, right? It\u2019s no secret that washing your hands is important. But you\u2019d be surprised by how many people skimp when it comes down to this habit. (One study found that only 5% of people wash their hands properly!)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe way that viruses transfer from person to person and place to place isn\u2019t usually because you got coughed on by someone who\u2019s sick,\u201d explains pediatric infectious disease expert Frank Esper, MD. \u201cInstead, someone usually coughs on their hands and goes on to touch something. Then someone else touches that thing with their hands and their hands end up in their mouth \u2013 along with the virus.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the best things you can do to protect yourself during cold and flu season (and really any time of the year) is to break the transmission cycle by routinely washing your hands.<\/p>\n

Also remember that any virus you might already have has the potential to spread to others in the same fashion. So washing your hands every time you cough, or every time that you\u2019re interacting with someone, preferably before you interact with them, is the best thing that you can do.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s one of the reasons why doctors always wash their hands before they see a patient and again right afterwards, Dr. Esper says.<\/p>\n

Does the hand washing rule apply with RSV and children too?<\/strong>
\nGood hand hygiene is incredibly important when it comes to babies and small children too, especially when it comes to helping prevent the spread of RSV.<\/p>\n

But oftentimes the average two-year-old can\u2019t wash their hands very well \u2013 let alone have the coordination or attention span for it. This is where the introduction of alcohol-based rubs, especially for the younger age groups, works well.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also important to understand the impact of handwashing for those around young children.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen your child is home from school with a runny nose or cough, a lot of times the grandparents or other family members will come over to watch them,\u201d says Dr. Esper. \u201cIt\u2019s very important to make sure that everyone who is interacting with the kids knows to wash their hands.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also a good idea to talk to children about not touching their noses or rubbing their eyes. Most of the time it\u2019s still going to be typical two-year-old behavior \u2013but it helps to start educating them about it when they\u2019re young.<\/p>\n

How to avoid getting sick<\/strong>
\nIf you\u2019re still trying to tough out cold and flu season without becoming a victim (or looking for tips on not getting sick again), follow these guidelines:<\/p>\n