How To Care for Those who are Sick with Flu
How to Care for Those Sick with Flu.
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Health officials report most of the country is battling a widespread outbreak of the flu and are urging people to get vaccinated now if they haven’t already done so.
With so many people sick, the American Red Cross has steps people should take if they are caring for someone who has the flu.
How the virus spread?
- Droplets of coughs or sneezes
- Touch droplets on another person or object and then touches own mouth or nose before washing hand.
- To prevent the spread of the flu virus, it is important to remember to wash your hands and cover your cough or sneeze.
Preventing the virus
Washing hand properly is an important step to avoid getting the flu.
For visibly soiled hands:
- Wash with soap and warm water.
- Was for at least 20 sec, covering the entire hand including fingernails and under jewelry.
- Rinse and dry thoroughly with a disposable towel.
- Use the towel to turn off the faucet.
If using alcohol-based hand sanitizer:
Rub thoroughly over the entire hand, including nail areas and between fingers, and continue to rub until the product dries.
Sneezing or coughing
- If someone has to cough or sneeze, they should cover their mouth and nose with a tissue and wash their hands afterwards.
- If the don’t have a tissue, they should cough or sneeze into their elbow or upper arm, not their hands.
Taking Care of the Sick
Caring someone who has flu
- Disinfect the door knobs, switches, handles, toys, and other surfaces that everyone touches.
- Use detergent and very hot water to do dishes and wash clothes. It’s okay to wash everyone’s clothes and dishes together. They should wash their hands after handling dirty laundry.
- Designate only one adult as a caregiver. People at increased risk of severe illness from the flu should not be caregiver.
- Deal with crisis situation calmly, and confidently to give the best support to the person being cared for.
- Remember their own needs as well. Practice healthy habits, eat a balanced diet. Drink plenty of water. Get regular exercise. Get enough sleep and rest.
What to do if someone is ill
- Stay in a room separate from common areas of the home and avoid contacts with others as much as possible.
- Stay at home for at least 24 hours after their fever is gone without using medicine to reduce the fever.
- Get lots of rest and drink plenty of fluids.
- Consider wearing a face mask, if available and tolerable. When sharing common spaces with households members.
- Check with their healthcare provider about whether they should take antiviral medication, or if fever persists, whether antibiotics are needed.
Informations on what to do if someone has the flu is available as a part of the free Red Cross First Aid mobile app available for iPhone, and Android devices. You can find more information about how to help keep you and your loved ones protected by visiting redcross.org/FluTips
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