Reducing your risk at home

 

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Description of Video content.
  1. H1N1 at home
    1. Brief intro
      1. Environments where many people come together are a host of opportunities for virus
    2. Risk elements
      1. Being close to people sneezing, coughing or who are sick with H1N1
      2. Close physical contact
        1. Greetings – kissing, shaking hands, holding children
      3. Surfaces, household items
        1. Virus can survive on surfaces and can infect a person for many hours
        2. Surfaces that are “high traffic” for being touched: door and appliance handles, cutlery, dishes, drinking glasses, keyboards, telephones, TV remote controls, towels, counter tops
    3. Actions we can take
      1. Minimize contact with others
        1. Isolate from others where possible
        2. Stay home for until fever is gone for 24 hours without using fever lowering drugs - Tylenol/Ibuprofen. Usually 5 – 8 days.
      2. Hygiene
        1. Wash hands with soap and water each time you cough or sneeze
        2. Cover mouth / nose with tissue or us “elbow method” whenever you sneeze or cough
        3. Don’t touch your nose, mouth or eyes in general and especially after you sneeze or cough
        4. Have an extra set of towels for someone who is ill
        5. Don’t share cutlery, glasses
        6. Patients/caregivers can wear regular surgical (paper) mask
        7. Stay 2 arms-lengths away from others when possible
        8. Carry hand sanitizer with you, especially when doing things that require touching objects that are used a lot by others – grocery carts, bank machines, elevator buttons, public washroom and other door handles
        9. Tissues, sanitizers and garbage cans should be in good supply. Tell your children to throw used tissues in garbage.
      3. Sanitizers
        1. Shaking hands, touching people and objects is unavoidable at times
        2. Good practice to keep alcohol-based hand sanitizers in good supply.
        3. It’s good practice to wipe surfaces such as desks, phones, doorknobs even if cleaning products are not available. The wiping is more important than the cleaner.

 

  1. Summary - Many simple steps to minimize spreading or catching
      1. Stay informed
      2. Practice good hygiene - Hand washing, cleaning/wiping high hand-traffic surfaces particularly important
      3. Maintain 2 arms-length distance from people who are coughing/sneezing or if you think you are sick
      4. Seek and follow medical attention