Fall is a busy time of year. With back-to-school season bringing on additional opportunities to contract an illness, it is important to be vigilant and practice proper hygiene protocols to lessen your chances of getting sick. Read on to learn about practices that will reduce your risk of yourself or someone in your family sick this fall.
Proper Hand Washing
Proper hand washing is a great way to ensure you are not picking up bacteria or viruses throughout your day-to-day activities. However, most people do not take the time to properly wash their hands, which can leave bacteria and viruses on your skin, increasing the likelihood of them making you sick.
Proper hand washing protocol:
- Rinse your hands under clean water
- Lather with anti-bacterial hand soap for at least 20 seconds
- Rinse with warm water
- Dry thoroughly with a clean towel or air dry them
So, when exactly should you be washing your hands? Here are some examples:
- After using the bathroom
- Before and after cooking
- After sneezing, coughing or blowing your nose
- After touching animals
- After coming in close contact with someone who is sick
Washing your hands can never be a bad thing, so if you fear you may have touched something that could contaminate you, it’s a good idea to wash your hands just to be careful. An alternative if a sink isn’t available would be to use hand sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol.
Disinfecting Surfaces
To avoid the risk of viruses and bacteria building up on common surfaces, it is important to disinfect surfaces in areas with high foot traffic. Some examples of common surfaces that can transmit diseases include: door handles, car handles, public transportation surfaces, toilets and sinks, kitchen appliances and more.
You can safely eliminate the risk of these surfaces transmitting diseases by wiping them down with a disinfectant and a clean towel or paper towel. Common surface cleaners like bleach solutions will kill viruses and bacteria. If you are using a bleach solution, follow the instructions on dilution, application and protection needed to apply the chemical. If you have children or pets, do your research on the best products you should use to disinfect your spaces. The EPA released this list of disinfectants that you can use as a guide regarding what products will be best for your needs.
Not all surfaces need to be disinfected daily. How often you disinfect certain surfaces will depend on how often they are used as well as whether someone who is sick was known to come in contact with that object.
Isolating if You May Be Sick
Being sick is no fun. Especially when you are sick enough to stay home from your normal day to day activities such as work and school. However, isolating yourself if you are sick is the best way to ensure you do not spread your illness to the people around you.
In public spaces such as an office or school, the surfaces that you come in contact with are touched many times without proper disinfecting due to the high volume of foot traffic. Additionally, you may be sitting within a few feet of people during the day, meaning that the virus or bacteria you’re harboring only needs to travel a small distance to come in contact with someone near you via a cough or sneeze.
How long you isolate yourself will depend on your symptoms and what illness you have. Generally speaking, it is a good idea to isolate as long as possible or until your symptoms have completely resolved.
Visit AFC Urgent Care North Bergen for acute illness treatment near North Bergen, NJ
If you are sick, the easiest way to get better is to seek medical attention for proper diagnosis and a customized treatment plan. However, taking preventative measures is a good idea to hopefully avoid getting sick in the first place. If you are sick, make sure you’re isolating yourself as much as possible from others so that you do not spread your illness.
If you are seeking treatment for an acute illness near North Bergen, NJ, AFC Urgent Care North Bergen is here to help. Call us to speak to a medical professional directly at (201) 588-1300.
