15 precautions every Indian should take to prevent swine flu

Fresh cases of swine flu have been reported all across India. Share these precautions with your loved ones!

Swine flu or the H1N1 virus has created panic again. With hoax messages doing the rounds, it is getting even more difficult to get the right information to prevent it. Dr Bharat Jagiasi, a critical care consultant, lists down 15 precautions we should take to prevent the spread of H1N1. Also read how swine flu spreads.

1. Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze.
2. Use disposable tissues instead of a handkerchief if you have a cold and throw the tissue in dustbin after use.
3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth too often as this can lead to you contracting the disease.
4. Wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol based hand rub (hand sanitizer).
5. Viruses also spread by droplet infection which might have deposited on common objects like phones, laptops, common desk, and chairs so avoid touching too many objects and wash your hands if you do. Here are IMA guidelines to tackle swine flu (H1N1 influenza) in India.
6. Try and avoid close contact especially with people who have flu. Maintain a minimum distance of 6-10 feet to avoid airborne transmission.
7. If someone at home is suffering from swine flu, clean the surfaces frequently to prevent it from spreading. Read to know if swine flu is completely curable.
8. Patients suffering from flu should stay indoors one day post the last episode of fever (without any fever reducing drugs).
9. If someone in your family has swine flu, they should wear a mask, cover their mouth and nose before sneezing, maintain thorough hand hygiene before touching common objects. All these measures will help reduce the spread of disease to others. Here is all that you need to know about the treatments and medications available to fight swine flu.
10. Children less than five years of age and elderly should avoid crowded places. Here are some important tips to save your child from an attack of swine flu.
11. Children should attend school unless a local health authority issues an advisory.
12. High-risk patients should be more vigilant and visit doctors at the earliest.
13. Wear a surgical mask if there is an outbreak of swine flu in your area.
14. In general stay fit, drink lots of water, and eat fruits.
15. Be more vigilant than being scared. Also, read to know if a person can lead a normal life after recovering from swine flu.

Follow these tips diligently to prevent swine flu. But if you have symptoms of the virus then get medical attention at the earliest. Says Dr Bharat, the common symptoms of this disease include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Running nose or stuffy nose
• Bodyache
• Headache
• Chills
• Fatigue

He also lists red flags to watch out for in those suffering from swine flu. These include:

• Drowsiness
• Breathlessness
• Irritability (especially in children)
• Confusion
• Sudden dizziness

In order to prevent this disease, it is important to keep your immunity levels high. Pregnant women, elderly patients, children less than 5 years of age, those with diabetes, asthma, cardiac disease are high risk for having complications of flu, warns Dr Bharat. Here are 10 facts about swine flu you must know.

This video will help you with some tips to prevent swine flu.

For prevention tips on swine flu in Marathi , click here

WHO has recommended flu vaccines once a year to prevent swine flu.

Image source: Getty Images

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