During a Flu Outbreak
If you get sick
If you experience flu-like symptoms — such as fever, coughing, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea — you should stay home. As much as possible avoid contact with other people to keep from spreading your disease. If you have severe illness or are at high risk for flu complications, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend that you seek professional medical care. Your health care provider can determine whether flu testing or treatment is needed.
Signs that you or someone you know (especially children) may need urgent medical attention include:
- Fast breathing or trouble breathing
- Bluish or gray skin color
- Not drinking enough fluids
- Severe or persistent vomiting
- Not waking up or not interacting
- Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
- Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
In adults, warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
- Sudden dizziness
- Confusion
- Severe or persistent vomiting
- Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
Contact Schiffert Health Center at 540-231-6444 if you need medical assistance. Call 911 if you need immediate medical attention.
If someone in your household gets sick
- People with flu-like symptoms should stay in a room separate from common areas and avoid contact with other members of the household as much as possible.
- Everyone should take steps to maintain natural resistance to infection.
- Eat a healthy and balanced diet.
- At the first sign of the flu, prevent dehydration by encouraging liquids, such as ice and easily digested foods such as soup and broth.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Exercise at least 3 times a week.
- Manage stress.
- Get enough sleep and rest.
- To limit further exposure, choose one adult member of the household to be the caregiver for people who are ill.
- Consider having the person who is ill wear a facemask when they’re in common spaces with other household members.
- Check with the person’s health care provider about the potential need for antiviral or antibiotic treatment.
- Wear disposable gloves when in contact with or cleaning up body fluids.
- Minimize contact with surfaces that could spread disease.
- Keep everyone’s personal items separate. Avoid sharing pens, papers, clothes, towels, sheets, blankets, food or eating utensils unless cleaned between uses.
- Regularly disinfect commonly touched surfaces around the home or workplace: door knobs, switches, handles, toys, computers, telephones, etc. Use a bleach solution that contains ¼ cup of bleach for every gallon of water or a commercially-produced surface disinfectant.
- Wash everyone’s dishes in the dishwasher or by hand using very hot water and soap.
- Wash everyone’s clothes in a standard washing machine as you normally would. Use detergent and very hot water, and wash your hands after handling dirty laundry.
