Dr. Rogé's Corner: Disease Prevention 2020

How to prevent catching and spreading the flu and other respiratory viruses:
Since the beginning of the year, everyday we hear in the news about the COVID-19 (coronavirus) epidemic. The number of cases, the number of deaths, the number of countries affected keep growing. 
 
This epidemic is different from  previous episodes of coronavirus infections (SARS in 2002-2003 that affected 8,000 people and killed 774; MERS in 2012 that affected 2,500 people and killed 858). The COVID-19 virus appears to infect more people but has a lower mortality rate (around 2%, and mainly among older people with chronic underlying medical conditions). So far the COVID-19 virus has not been as devastating as the flu, which affects 9 to 49 million and kills between 10 to 80 thousand individuals each year in the US, alone. As of the end of February, this flu season has affected 29 million people in the US, and killed 105 children. The worry is that the COVID-19 virus could become a pandemic. The worst pandemic so far was from the Spanish Flu in 1918-1919 that killed 50 to 100 million people around the world.

Aside from the flu vaccine, the best way to protect ourselves from these infectious risks is to follow the basic hygiene instructions as suggested by the CDC for the prevention of the flu:

1. Avoid close contact.
   Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick, too.
2. Stay home when you are sick.
   If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. This will help prevent spreading your illness to others.
3. Cover your mouth and nose.
   Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Flu and other serious respiratory illnesses, like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), whooping cough, and coronavirus (SARS=severe acute respiratory syndrome or current “novel coronavirus”) are spread by coughing, sneezing, or unclean hands.
4. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
   Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
5. Practice other good health habits.
   Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.
6. Clean your hands.
   Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

• Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives
  Tips on hand washing and using alcohol-based hand sanitizers
• It’s a SNAP Toolkit: Handwashing
  Hand washing resources from the It’s A SNAP program, aimed at preventing school absenteeism by promoting clean hands. From the School Network for Absenteeism Prevention, a collaborative project of the CDC, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the American Cleaning Institute.​