Sniffling coworkers, wheezing kids and running out of tissues or hand sanitizer can make the months of flu season extremely stressful. To kill the virus in office spaces and prevent its spread to other surfaces, AFC Urgent Care recommends that employers build “Fight the Office Flu Kits” for their employees.

• Paper towels. Recent studies show that surfaces that have been cleaned with sponges and cleaning cloths can still be heavily contaminated, because of the germs left on the materials from previous cleanings. So stocking up on disposable paper towels keeps messes and germs from spreading beyond the mess they’re cleaning up.

• Disinfectant spray. At least once a week, schedule a time for employees to spray everything they touch with disinfectant spray to kill the flu virus on surfaces. The flu virus can live up to three days depending on the type of surface and the moisture level in the environment, and places that are rarely cleaned are much more likely to host viruses.

• Hand sanitizer with aloe. Frequent hand-washing can make employees’ hands dry and cracked, so supply them with hand sanitizer that will nurture their skin as it disinfects. Microbes easily transfer from surfaces to hands, and when employees touch their noses or eyes, they introduce whatever germs are on their hands into their bodies. To prevent this, hand sanitizer can work with other disinfectants to stem the spread of germs.

• Extra pens. Sharing pens unnecessarily exposes employees to each other’s germs. People who have the flu become contagious one day before they begin exhibiting symptoms, so even if they don’t seem sick today, it’s safer to avoid sharing supplies.

• Hand soap. Employees should be washing their hands after every visit to the restroom and every time they sneeze or wipe their noses. This can be used as an alternative to or in conjunction with hand sanitizer.

• Sanitizing wipes. For a quick cleanup between scheduled spray-downs, use sanitizing wipes.

Given the cost of the flu, it makes sense to take preventive measures to protect employees. So visit your local AFC Urgent Care to get a flu shot today!

We are open every day with extended business hours. Call our Shelton center at 203-567-4171 to learn more about our services.