Home For The Holiday: Don’t Pass The H1N1 Virus

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Most will be spending time with family and friends for Thanksgiving this week. While you’re sharing a meal, health officials reminded you to prevent sharing flu germs.

Columbus Public Health officials said that although the number of H1N1 cases has declined over the past few weeks, it doesn’t mean the virus is out of our region.

Dr. Mysheika Williams told NBC 4 that it’s concerning that people are becoming a bit complacent when it comes to prevention of the virus.

Williams said 98 percent of flu that is going around currently is H1N1 and you should take precautions this holiday season.

“When people come together, we know that germs are spread. So it’s going to become important first of all, for those who are sick, to try to avoid other people. If you’re sick, stay home. That might not feel good to some, because you hate to miss family gatherings, but you also don’t want to infect a grandmother or baby in the household,“ Williams said.

Williams also brought up the latest Centers for Disease Control projections for H1N1.

According to Williams, the history of flu pandemics usually happens in two or three waves.

Columbus’ first wave happened last spring. The second wave hit during the early autumn.

The CDC projected a third possible wave for H1N1.

“So now things are on the downward trend, there’s always a possibility, and we anticipate that we will go up again. When will that occur, we don’t know, but we’re trying to make sure the community is vaccinated before that comes,“ Williams said.

If traveling for the holiday or hosting a family celebration, washing one’s hands as often as possible is important to help ward off illness. 

The Red Cross offers the following ideas to help halt the spread of the flu virus during the Thanksgiving holiday.

If sick, stay home. It’s disappointing to not be able to join in the family celebration, but act responsibly and stay home to avoid spreading the flu. It’s possible to spread the flu virus one day before actually showing symptoms. Those who have been in close contact with a sick individual should be extra careful about using good hand hygiene and cough etiquette and very aware of what might be flu symptoms.

While traveling:
- Wash hands with soap and water as often as possible. If soap and water aren’t available, use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol.
- Use sanitizing wipes to disinfect hard surfaces such as airplane tray tables, luggage handles, cell phones, door handles and seat armrests.
- Remember to wash hands or use a hand sanitizer before eating any meals or snacks. It’s important to remember that you are touching a lot of surfaces that others are touching as well.  Make sure your hands are clean before you put anything into your mouth.
- Bring personal blankets, pillows and earphones to avoid using something which may have been in contact with the flu virus.
- After washing hands in a public restroom, turn off the faucet with a paper towel. Then use another paper towel to dry hands and open the door when exiting the restroom.

Thanksgiving is all about food, family and friends. Here are some steps that will help keep the celebration happy and healthy:
- Avoid the usual kisses and handshakes when greeting friends and family. 
- If hosting the holiday dinner and someone in the household becomes ill, make sure that they can be isolated into a separate area for care, or ask another family member to host dinner to avoid spreading the flu.
- Wash hands frequently, before preparing food, while cooking, and especially before eating. 
- Keep plenty of hand soap in the bathroom, preferably in a pump container. Skip the pretty hand towels this year and instead use disposable hand towels or a roll of paper towels.
- Consider putting the glasses away this year and using plastic cups, or provide a way for guests to identify their drinks. Don’t drink out of anyone else’s glass.
- Put serving utensils in every dish, including snacks like nuts, pretzels, etc. This allows people to spoon out their portion instead of reaching in with their hands. 
Remember, always cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue and clean hands afterwards. If no tissue is available, cough or sneeze into the inside of the elbow or upper arm. Avoid touching the eyes, nose and mouth to prevent spreading germs. 

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