Unit 9200   The Civil Service Employees Association, Inc. Local 1000, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO W e s t c h e s t e r   C o u n t y   E m p l o y e e s  U n i o n - U n i t  9 2 0 0 published: 10/18/04

Precautions: This page presents some methods to hopefully avoid colds and the flu.  The main way that illnesses like colds and flu are spread is from person to person in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes. This happens when droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person move through the air and land on the mouth or nose of people nearby. Sometimes germs also spread when a person touches respiratory droplets from another person on a surface like a desk and then touches his or her own eyes, mouth or nose before washing their hands. Some viruses and bacteria live 2 hours or longer on surfaces like doorknobs, desks, phones, elevator buttons, and keyboards.

To Stay Healthy:

• Wash hands often with soap (or an alcohol-based hand cleaner if soap and water are not available). Use the paper towel, after washing hands, to turn off faucets and to turn doorknobs to avoid the same infection.  
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick; avoid shaking hands when people are sick with a cold.
• Purposely avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth; avoid licking fingers before picking up sheets of paper. 
• Do not share pens, telephones, keyboards, eating utensils, drinking glasses, towels.
• Eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. Get regular exercise each day. Balance your activity with rest.
• Do not visit a relative or friend if they have flu or cold-like symptoms.
• Stop smoking.  It irritates the lining of your nose, sinuses and lungs.

If You Are Ill :

• Cover your mouth every time you cough or sneeze to avoid spreading germs.  Throw the used tissue in a wastebasket.  If you don’t have a tissue, sneeze or cough into your sleeve, not into your hands. Printable "Cover Your Cough" poster ( pdf format)
• Wash your hands often and well. Wash especially after blowing your nose, sneezing, coughing, toileting and before/after handling food. 
• Rest and drink plenty of liquids.  Plain water and fruit juices work well.
• Take medication to relieve flu or cold-like symptoms.                                      
• Stay home if you have the flu or a cold.    Information for Work Sites.

Printable posters (pdf): Preventing Flu   Cover Your Cough  Hand Washing  Alcohol Hand Cleaner 
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention    Posters from USAG, Ft Detrick, Maryland.