Six Tips to Avoid Flu and Preserve Tamiflu Supplies
We can all do our bit in times of media hype and scare-mongering to avoid reading about doom and gloom, but there are also some sensible precautions to take to avoid the spread of disease, regardless of whether it’s swine flu (H1N1), bird flu (H5N1), or even just the common cold. These tips adapted from the US government:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home if you’re showing symptoms yourself.
- Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
- Clean your hands frequently with soap and hot water.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth to prevent any germs on your hands gaining entry.
- Practice good health habits, like getting adequate sleep, plenty of exercise (unless you’re sick), managing stress, drinking plenty of fluids, and eating good-quality, nutritious food with plenty of fresh or dried fruit and vegetables.
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Post by David Bradley Science Writer. You can get in touch with David via email or check out his CV on the Sciencebase.com site.
If you're lucky, the following quote may be relevant in some way to the post above, but then again...
History I believe furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance, of which their political as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for their own purpose.
- Thomas Jefferson
Tamiflu (oseltamivir) is successful in helping treat the virus if taken within several days of having symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The drugs can shorten the length of the disease and its severity.