Schools, childcare and healthcare providers are reporting the flu and viral gastroenteritis (“stomach flu”) are circulating in the community and increasing.
Prevent sickness:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
- Stay home when you are sick. If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands if you’ve been vomiting and/or have diarrhea. This will help prevent spreading your illness to others.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Most experts believe that flu viruses spread mainly by droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk.
- Clean your hands often. It will help protect you from germs. Hand sanitizer is not effective at preventing transmission of some of the most common viral causes of gastroenteritis.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches a surface or object that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose or mouth.
- Stop the spread of germs. When you are sick, avoid preparing food for others. Clean and disinfect surfaces or objects that may be contaminated with germs.
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2016-17 Ottawa County Influenza Surveillance Report (updated 1/26/2017)