Time To Prepare For Winter Flu Season

Even though we have all been basking in this glorious summer, we know it will not last forever. Winter flu season will be here soon enough and with cold weather comes the increased risk of the flu (influenza) epidemic.

Flu is caused by a number of viruses that vary from year to year and is spread by direct contact through sneezes and coughs or indirectly through touching infected surfaces.

How Do You Know If You Have Flu?

Flu symptoms come on very quickly and can include:

A sudden fever – a temperature of 38c or above
Aching body
Feeling tired or exhausted
Dry, chesty cough
A sore throat
A headache
Difficulty sleeping
Loss of appetite
Diarrhoea or tummy pain
Nausea or being sick

To help you get better more quickly, you should rest and sleep, keep warm, take paracetamol or ibuprofen to lower your temperature and drink plenty of water

What can you do to reduce your risk of Flu?

You can reduce the risk of flu by having a flu vaccination.

The people who are most vulnerable are those over 65, are pregnant, have a certain medical condition or live in a residential home. For this reason, the NHS pays for these categories to have free flu vaccinations as well as anyone who is the main carer for an elderly or disabled person and all healthcare professionals.

However, if you are not entitled to a free vaccination you can pay privately to get one from most pharmacies or you may even have an employer who will pay for it. This makes sense because if you get flu you will probably lose 3 day’s money before your sick pay kicks in.

How does Flu Spread?

Flu spreads through:

Direct contact when you sneeze or a cough. Tiny droplets of fluid containing the cold virus are launched in the air and can be breathed in by others.
By indirect contact eg when you sneeze onto a door handle and someone else touches it a few minutes later and then they touch their mouth or nose.

How you can help to reduce the spread of Flu

You can help to reduce the risk of flu and the spread by washing your hands regularly and properly, particularly after touching your mouth or nose and before handling food.

Always sneeze and cough into tissues as this will help prevent virus-containing droplets entering the air, throw away tissues immediately and wash your hands.

Clean surfaces regularly to keep them free of germs.

Use your own cup, plates, cutlery and kitchen utensils and use disposable paper towels to dry your hands and face rather than shared towels.