By Staff
Flu season is upon us. Doctors in Brewton and around Escambia County have been busy this month treating patients — mainly children — with symptoms of H1N1 flu virus.
But there remains no reason to panic about the disease — we all just need to take common sense precautions and make contingency plans.
The H1N1 virus — also known as “swine flu” — is more contagious than regular seasonal flu, but its severity is not nearly as bad as was originally thought last spring.
There are several groups that are at higher risk for complications from the illness: children under 5, pregnant women and the elderly.
Getting the flu might seem inevitable this fall, but there are some simple precautions to take so that you can protect yourself, your family and your co-workers and friends.
If you are sick, stay home. It’s that simple. If your child is sick, keep him or her home from school. The Centers for Disease Control advises that children and adults stay home for 24 hours after a fever has dissipated without the use of fever-reducing medicine.
Wash your hands — thoroughly — and use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. If you cough, cough into your sleeve, not your hand.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
While the flu is spreading rapidly, this is not a time to panic — it’s a time to use common sense.