The Pending Flu Season

It's October, and that means we are heading into the 'cold and flu' season. The CDC and local hospitals are preparing for this flu season to be a bit of a challenge with the Swine Flu.

I know last Spring there was a huge uproar when the Swine Flu was first diagnosed, almost to the point of panic. But it is pretty serious.

A letter from the school principal came home a week ago, and one came home a couple days ago from the County Department of Health. Both talking of the Swine Flu.

First, they both talked about how to minimize the spread of the Flu:

*cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze
* wash your hands with soap and water often. Alcohol based hand sanitizers are also effective.
* avoid close contact with sick people
* avoid touching your nose, mouth, or eyes. Germs spread that way.
* if you get sick, STAY HOME FROM SCHOOL OR WORK and limit contact with others to keep from spreading the infection
(which means STAY HOME from the grocery stores, shopping, etc, etc)

The spreading of the Swine Flu, or any other illness can be minimized and avoided if people who were sick would just stay home. Don't go to work and expose your co-workers, don't send your kids to school and expose their teachers and classmates, don't go out shopping, don't go to church! Stay home and keep your germs to yourself!

And here are the signs and symptoms:
* fever, greater than 100
* cough
*sore throat
*body aches
*headache
*vomiting
*diarrhea
For more information on the Swine Flu, you can visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov/swineflu.