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Help Guarantee You Are Springing for Springtime

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Contributed by: Cameron Falzone on 4/3/2007

Spring time in Los Angeles is a great time to feel alive in the outdoors. Temperatures are usually pretty mild and stores and farmer's markets still have fresh fruits and vegetables. It is a good time to learn a new physical activity or just try some new recipes with spring vegetables. Unfortunately, this year spring is also the time when influenza is still in our communities.

Influenza (or "seasonal flu") can be a serious disease of the respiratory system. The common symptoms can include fever, headache, dry cough, sore throat, and severe exhaustion. Most of us have had the flu at one time or another. In fact, 5% to 20% of the population on average gets the flu every year, usually in the winter months between November-March. Sometimes the flu can cause mild symptoms and only requires staying at home for a few days to sleep it off (along with a lot of fluids, aspirin, and tissues!). However, more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications every year. In worst cases, the disease can be fatal-on average 36,000 people die from influenza annually.

There are simple ways to increases your chances of avoiding the flu. "Staying healthy this flu season can be as simple as washing your hands, covering your cough and sneezes, not touching your hands to your face, nose, or mouth, and getting a seasonal flu shot," said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Public Health Director and County Health Officer.

Washing your hands can eliminate germs that cause infectious diseases. Yet several studies have shown that adults fail to wash their hands frequently and effectively. In a 2000 study, 1,021 people were asked "Do you always wash your hands after using the bathroom?" 95% responded they did. When adults were observed in a subsequent follow-up study in public restrooms in five major metropolitan areas, only 68% washed their hands!

To help bring Dr. Fielding's advice to life, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has launched "Clean Hands," a public education campaign designed to encourage LA residents and visitors to wash their hands as a means to avoid seasonal flu and for pandemic flu preparedness. Clean Hands illustrates the importance of frequent hand washing through community outreach events, educational advertising materials and public service announcements. Clean Hands is a multicultural and multilingual campaign, targeting the diverse communities in Los Angeles - including distribution of materials in up to 12 different languages.

It is crucial that Los Angeles County residents take Public Health's advice about washing your hands. Flu germs are very contagious and can spread from person to person by not covering your coughing or sneezing when you have the flu. Also, you may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it (like a countertop near where someone recently sneezed) and then touching your mouth or nose.

Hand washing will not only help avoid the spread of the seasonal flu and other germs, but will also be an important to protect yourself if there is an outbreak of pandemic flu. Pandemic flu is a worldwide outbreak of a new flu virus for which there is little or no immunity. No one can predict when the next pandemic flu will occur or how severe it will be.

What is known is that flu pandemics have occurred three times (1918, 1957, and 1968) in the last century. With pandemic flu, everybody is at risk. In fact, should a pandemic flu occur, health experts predict an infection rate of 25 to 50 percent of the population, depending on the severity of the virus strain. If a worldwide flu pandemic like the one in 1918 were to strike today, it could kill between 51 and 81 million people.

Here is a great seven-step routine to follow to keep those hands clean and that flu away:

1. Use warm running water

2. Use soap-liquid or a bar will work fine

3. Rub your hands together for 15-20 seconds to work up a good lather. Be sure to wash in between your fingers, under your nails and scrub the tops and palms of the hands

4. Rinse all soap off your hands with warm, running water

5. Dry your hands using a disposable paper towel. Germs can hide in a cloth towel.

6. After drying hands, grasp the faucet handle with your used paper towel to turn off the water. Avoid touching the sink or faucet handles-they're too germ friendly.

7. Throw your used paper towel in the trash

For more information about seasonal flu and how to protect you and your family, please visit our dedicated website http://lapublichealth.org/acd/flu.htm And that is it! Spring time in Los Angeles can still be an exciting one. Enjoy the wonderful weather; take a walk with your family and explore new areas of the county. Just make sure you do it with clean hands!

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