How can germs spread

Soap or alcohol-based hand rub kills the flu virus. When water is not available, alcohol-based hand rubs may be used. It's especially important to clean your hands:. Avoid close contact with others if you are ill or have the flu. Stay home from work or school, and avoid other public places. For a stronger immune system, get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat a well balanced diet every day.

Navigation menu. It's Sickening! This is How Germs Spread PDF Have you ever had the flu? Best idea: Get the flu vaccine, not the flu!

Another great idea: Keep your germs to yourself! Cover your cough Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Since they are dependent on a host, virus survival on surfaces is limited. Surface contamination is a serious issue in healthcare settings, where lots of people carrying all sorts of germs gather.

Elsewhere, because there are fewer pathogens in a larger area, the situation is less dire. But science can point out the most likely risks to avoid. The kind of surface matters. A recent review of the scientific literature found that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 SARS-CoV-2 , which causes COVID, can survive on different surfaces for different amounts of time. On cardboard, it can survive for up to 24 hours. The Australian Government Department of Health agrees.

Its advice for cargo and mail workers PDF is that the risk of catching the virus from handling goods is low. Surface porosity might be the key. Viruses are some of the tiniest biological organisms known. Like a golf ball rolling into a field of holes, they might sink into porous materials—like cardboard, wood or cloth—seldom to be seen again. This might come as a surprise. Common advice for your kitchen is to avoid wooden chopping boards. Myth: When formulating each seasonal vaccine, scientists focus on the strain that was most prevalent the year before.

While each seasonal vaccine may offer some level of protection against other strains, you can still get sick if you come into contact with less common influenza strains. Belief: You can catch the flu from the vaccine. Myth: The influenza vaccine is made from an inactivated virus that cannot transmit infection.

Myth: In reality, about to percent of people carrying the influenza virus show no symptoms whatsoever. Belief: You should get a flu shot every year.

Fact: Since the flu virus mutates often, you need to update your immunity each year to maintain protection against new strains. Ah, allergies—you know the feeling all too well. Or so you think. Because during flu season, you might start questioning whether something more serious—like influenza—could b Read More.

Feeling anxious, stressed or sad? Your mental health is equally as important as your physical Read More. The body aches, the stuffy nose and the sore throat…we all know how crummy it feels when coming down with an upper respiratory infection. Need Care Make an Appointment Today. Here are five ways they can be spread: From your nose, mouth or eyes — Sneezing, coughing or rubbing the eyes can cause germs to spread to others.

Food — Germs from raw foods can be transferred to uncooked foods, such as salads. While the raw food is cooked, killing the germs, the salad is not and can make you sick.

Animals — We love them, but animals are very germy creatures. Dirty hands — You can become sick when someone is preparing food with dirty hands, typically from not washing them after using the restroom. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend the following steps: Wet your hands with running water and soap.

Rub your hands together to make a lather and scrub well for 20 seconds.