Keep Your Friends and Family Healthy This Holiday Season

This Thanksgiving, pass the turkey, not the flu! Illnesses, such as the flu, can be transferred through sneezing, coughing or surface contamination. According to the CDC, germs can live approximately two hours on surfaces such as doorknobs or kitchen counters. With a few preventative steps, your friends and family will be able to relax and focus on the fun and food, rather than worrying about sore throats or upset stomachs. Keep things clean, and most importantly, stay home if you’re sick.

Wash your hands.

It may seem like common sense, but it’s important to encourage your guests to wash their hands before eating. In the hustle and bustle of holiday fun, hand washing is an easy thing to overlook. With pets and young children running amok, guests could conceivably touch a germ-laden surface and unknowingly contaminate other areas of the house or even some of the tasty Thanksgiving treats.

Avoid communal appetizers and snacks.

Speaking of tasty treats, it may be advisable to skip the finger foods for your holiday gathering. To help stop the spread of germs, avoid communal bowls and always provide serving tongs — 20 sets of hands all reaching into one bowl is sure to leave a plethora of germs behind. Keep your guests happy and healthy by providing snacks that are easy to serve.

Label your drinkware.

It’s also advisable to designate drinking glasses. If you’re using plastic cups, be sure to provide plenty of sharpies and encourage your guests to write their names on their cup. For glassware, there are several possible solutions. You can either purchase stickers, wine stem charms, special markers that draw on glass or even coasters that cling to the bottom of the glass to help guests differentiate between glasses. This is a great way to help prevent cross-contamination, with the bonus of keeping your furniture ring-free.

Finally, and most importantly, if you’re sick, stay home! When you feel ill, taking the time to rest and recover is what your body needs. By fighting through the illness to attend family functions you’ll make yourself feel worse, slow your recovery and likely infect loved ones; instead, visit an American Family Care location near you and get the help you need. Though it may be tough to miss out on the fun, your friends and family will thank you for your consideration.