Keep the flu off limits

If someone in the family is sniffing … stop it there!When winter comes round, so do colds and flu.

If one of your family members has caught the flu, it is only a short wait until the next one starts coughing and sniffing as well; and the domino effect begins.

“When one member of the family is sick we know that there is a good chance that other members will also start displaying symptoms,” Linctagon’s brand manager Carla Yssel says.

“History has proven time and time again that keeping the rest of the family from getting sick is an ardent task, and sometimes no matter how much effort we put in to it, the germs always find a way to attack our bodies.

“There are many logical and easy ways that if implemented correctly – and done consistently – you can have a higher chance of keeping germs away,” says Yssel.

Yssel suggests the following steps be taken when trying to keep the rest of your family healthy in a sick home:

• Wash your hands, OFTEN! Not a quick rinse under the water, but a good soaping for about 20 seconds and then rinse off. If you can, use your elbow to turn off the tap, and then dry your hands with a paper towel.
• Carry a hand sanitiser around with you. There is a reason they can be found in hospitals! If you can’t wash your hands, make sure you pour some sanitiser into your hands to keep them clean.
• It may sound inhumane, but “quarantine” the sick family member. Don’t allow too much, interaction with them, and make sure all tissues are disposed of quickly, and that all crockery and cutlery is cleaned properly. 
• Eat lots of fruit and vegetables to increase vitamin intake and help keep the immune system in peak condition.
• Teach your children to cough into their elbows, this can reduce the amount of germs spread through contact, and through the air.