To prevent the flu it is not enough to take adequate precautions when you are away from home, trying to avoid crowded places during periods of maximum circulation of viruses, washing your hands often and well with soap and water or passing them several times a day with disinfectant gels, staying at a safe distance from people with cold symptoms and so on.
Even after crossing the threshold of the house you must respect a series of fundamental hygiene rules.
The first, after removing the jacket, scarf and gloves, is once again to wash your hands: a gesture that must precede any other domestic activity, if you do not want to disperse the viruses collected unknowingly along the way between the living room, kitchen and bedroom.
If, then, the flu viruses in the house are already there due to a sick family member, to this good habit must be added some specific precautions.
Especially if the relative is affected
First of all, after the diagnosis the person with the flu must try to stay mostly in the same room to limit the spread of viruses in domestic environments, and avoid inadvertently sowing disposable tissues here and there: just remember to place a basket next to the bed or sofa.
A second fundamental preventive action is to ventilate the room or the entire house several times a day (of course without catching cold) because influenza viruses are transmitted mainly by respiratory route and a few sneezes or a simple conversation are enough to saturate the environment.
Although influenza is not a serious infectious disease and viruses live only a few hours outside the human body, to further reduce the risk of contagion it is advisable to keep the towels and toothbrush of the patient separate from those of healthy family members and disinfect everyday surfaces daily.
In the kitchen, it is not necessary to respect special precautions, except to wash the dishes immediately after use with hot water and common detergent or, preferably, in the dishwasher which, thanks to the high temperatures, ensures a better elimination of viruses and bacteria.
Meals, however, the patient should consume them in his room, at least in the first 3-4 days of flu and as long as there is high fever, because the close distance imposed by being seated at the same table and the natural conversation expose to a high risk of contagion.
A significant source of infection often underestimated are, then, the telephones: the sick person should use only his mobile phone and, as far as possible, avoid responding to the home landline (except, then, clean it thoroughly with a disinfectant detergent immediately after) because the proximity of the device with nose and mouth during use makes it a threat to the next user.
If a child is sick, you should be careful to keep clean and gathered in the same room even the toys he uses most often: especially if they are rag dolls or teddy bears, a bath with hot water and detergent is sometimes recommended.
Let’s see a brief summary of the precautions to put into practice in case of flu.
| What to do | What to avoid |
|---|---|
| The sufferer must try to stay mostly in the same room | Leave disposable tissues lying around |
| Place a basket next to the bed or sofa | Use the same towels and toothbrush |
| Ventilate the room several times a day | |
| Disinfect everyday surfaces daily | |
| Let the patient eat meals in his own room | |
| Keep toys clean, if it’s a child | |
| Wash dishes immediately after use | |
| The patient should only use his mobile phone and not the home phone |
How flu is transmitted
All these precautions are necessary because, as mentioned, the influenza virus is transmitted by the respiratory route.
The means of transmission are droplets of saliva released into the surrounding environment, sometimes through coughing and sneezing, but also more simply by breathing.
For this reason it is a good idea to cover your mouth and nose every time you cough or sneeze: it reduces the spread in the environment of microbes that are transmitted by air and the risk of contaminating surrounding objects and surfaces.
It is precisely for this reason that the habit of wearing surgical masks is so widespread in Japan. It is not, in fact, just a way to protect yourself from air pollution, nor a method to avoid coming into contact with microbes present in the environment in which the wearer lives.
This habit, which has its roots in the flu pandemic that in the early twentieth century caused thousands of deaths in the Japanese population, is rather intended to avoid the transmission of infectious diseases that could spread through respiratory secretions.
To limit the spread of their respiratory secretions in the environment, however, other stratagems can also be used, such as coughing and sneezing into a handkerchief or in the crook of the elbow.
The latter is a better choice than using your bare hand, especially when you do not have the opportunity to wash your hands thoroughly contaminated with saliva and respiratory secretions.
To start taking these simple steps, however, it is not necessary to wait for the symptoms of the flu to appear; Indeed, it should become an automatic gesture even when you think you are not sick.
In fact, the flu is contagious even during the so-called incubation period. This phase can last from 1 to 4 days (on average it lasts 2 days) and most adults can start transmitting the influenza virus starting one day before symptoms appear.
The latter include fever (especially high in the case of children), aches, chills, dizziness, headache, redness of the face, general malaise, nausea and vomiting, respiratory disorders, coughing and sneezing, runny nose and sore throat.
The appearance of vomiting and diarrhea is symptomatic of another syndrome of viral origin that is commonly referred to as “gastrointestinal flu”, but which has nothing to do with any strain of the influenza virus.
The advantages of the vaccine
The precautions that can be taken to avoid the transmission of influenza within the home, in short, are not lacking.
On the other hand, rest is one of the cornerstones of the treatment of this seasonal pathology that every year forces thousands of people to bed between the end of autumn and the first months of winter.
The peak of epidemics falls precisely in winter, when in our latitudes we take care to keep doors and windows well sealed to leave out the cold, but creating warm and humid environments where the influenza virus is transmitted more easily.
In most cases doctors do not prescribe specific treatment to speed healing; Together with rest, they recommend adequate hydration and the intake of anti-inflammatories to lower fever and fight the typical pains of flu syndrome.
Usually all this is enough to relieve symptoms within 3 or 4 days, but in some more severe cases, or when the risk of complications is particularly high, you may need to take antiviral drugs.
These medicines are most effective if you start taking them within 2 days of the appearance of the first disorders, and can help you get rid of the symptoms more quickly by anticipating their disappearance by about 1 day.
As far as prevention is concerned, the most effective weapon is the use of vaccination, to be repeated every year because, due to the high mutation capacity of the influenza virus, the antibodies of the previous flu season are not sufficient to protect against microbes in circulation the following year.
Who needs more protection?
In Italy, vaccination is not free for everyone, but only for people at risk of complications, in particular:
- for the elderly, from 65 years of age
- from 6 months of age, for all those living with diseases that increase the risk of complications, such as, among others, diabetes, chronic lung and respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases and cancers
- for children and adolescents taking long-term acetylsalicylic acid
- for women in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy
- for those admitted to long-term care facilities
- for doctors and healthcare professionals
- for family members and those in contact with people at high risk
- for certain categories of workers, such as employees in public services of primary interest
- for those who work with animals that could transmit non-human influenza viruses
- for blood donors.
The importance of prevention
In general, preventing flu is important both for one’s own health and that of the community.
Ensuring a flu-proof home means reducing the spread of a virus that at best will ruin the days for one or two weeks with fever, pain and other curable ailments, but which can also cause a serious worsening leading to more serious problems such as pneumonia and nervous system infections.
Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.
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