With the experts saying this could be the worse flu season since they started keeping stats, it seems like I am surrounded by outbreak monkeys! Here's what I do...

The Flu is everywhere... and I saw on headline news that there is a new stomach flu that has no symptoms. (???) Apparently you don't feel sick, you have no fever but you will suffer from vomiting and diarrhea, and it is highly contagious for days after you feel better. Plus, there is no cure or treatment for it. That scared me a little bit.  No symptoms? Hell, I might have it now, and would never know it.

So, we have people from the radio stations out sick with flu.  Air people, sales people, at least one person from almost every department is out sick. I appreciate their dedication, but... DO NOT COME TO WORK SICK!  As, it turns out we have a number of people that didn't get that message, so we aren't really sure of the identity of "patient O". So we just call them #1, #2, #3, and #4. We recently posted a poll asking if people would go to work even if they were sick, and gave three options, "yes", "no", or "I feel like I would get in trouble if I didn't". From all of the participants, 51.9% chose "Yes", 15.3% chose "No", and 32.6% of those that responded feel like they would get in trouble if they did not go in to work because they were sick.

Fighting the flu
Fighting the flu
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I also have people at home with sickness... fever, upset stomachs, snot rags everywhere. Thank god I have been able to avoid it so far, but it takes effort.

(Disclaimer - I looked online for a bio-hazard suit but couldn't afford one. So, I made me a redneck version, not sure if it helps, but it lifts the patients spirits.)

QUARANTINE: Go to bed and stay there... People with flu can be contagious one day before they show symptoms, up to seven days after becoming sick. I use plastic Walmart sacks in little trashcans to collect their used tissues, etc... for the ones that feel they can eat, I serve them with paper plates and disposable utensils. I try to have as little contact as possible. Right away I get their waste out of the house and into the outside trash can. It sucks being locked down like that, but when we are responsible for the health of others we must sacrifice. Keep that in mind too, if you have been in contact with sick folks, you don't be the one to spread it to the healthy. Use Lysol for surfaces, and Oust for bacteria in the air.

CLEAN: I try to make sure that any surface that comes into contact with anything from the sick folks is disinfected immediately.  Wash the dishes, mop floors, continuously disinfect, and wash your hands with both soap and water, and alcohol based anti-bacterial germicides.

If you test positive for influenza, take an anti-viral medication like Tami-flu... ANTIBIOTICS ARE NOT ANTI-VIRAL MEDICATION... There is a huge difference.

We have been lucky at hour house and it has not been actual "Flu"... just a virus, but bless their hearts the girls have been down with it.  One is back to school, and the other is going stir crazy from the quarantine, (see above), and is ready to go back to work.

Experts from the CDC advise to get a flu vaccine shot. Especially really young kids, or elderly adults, and are available at most pharmacies.

Good Luck... stay healthy!

 

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