Cold and flu season has descended upon East Tennessee and at Well-Key Urgent Care our doctors know that flu season can be a scary time for parents and children. From the germs on public surfaces to people sneezing openly into the air, it is hard to completely avoid illness. We have gathered some tips and tricks to keep you and your family stay safer throughout this flu season.
These tips are provided by Well-Key Urgent Care.
GET VACCINATED – The most effective way to ensure that you and your family stay flu-free is by receiving the yearly flu vaccine. No other preventative step is as effective as getting your flu vaccine.
HANDWASHING – Using proper handwashing techniques is imperative to keeping germs away. To check out more about proper handwashing and what hand sanitizers to carry in case you cannot get to a sink quickly, check out this link from the CDC.
DON’T TOUCH YOUR FACE – Another thing to be conscious of when you’re in a common space is to not touch your mouth and nose. Using your hands to touch your mouth and nose gives direct access for germs into your body. In addition to this, cover your own mouth and nose when you sneeze to be mindful of your own spreading of germs.
DISINFECT SURFACES – Wipe down high traffic surfaces in your house with a disinfectant at least once a week. In common spaces, such as the gym or a public restroom, wipe down surfaces before and after contact to prevent the spread of germs.
AVOID SHARING – This may seem like rude advice, but you have to consider the safety of your family and the time lost while bouncing back from the flu. What if work has brought in a box of doughnuts that everyone is reaching for? Or your kid shares crayons with the sniffly kid next to them? If you reduce the amount of sharing of surfaces, that will cut your risk.
SLEEP – Ensuring that you get a full night’s rest is one of the most important things you can do to ward off illness. Sleep gives your body the appropriate amount of energy to fight off infection.
While these tips are not 100% effective, we hope they will help reduce the risk of contracting the flu. Finally, if you do contract the flu, come and see us at Well-Key Urgent Care. Well-Key treats non-emergent injuries and illnesses in adults and children six months or older. All of the Well-Key locations are operated by Dr. Rothwell and Dr. Huskey, both of whom work in each of the three clinics on a regular basis as physicians, alongside the many physicians and nurse practitioners in each facility. All Well-Key locations offer patients a walk-in clinic, no appointment necessary.
While flu season can be a hard time to navigate as a parent, we are prepared to help you or your loved ones through cold and flu season, and get you on the right track to feeling better. We hope these tips and tricks help your family stay a little more germ-free this year!
