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[font=Helvitica][pitch=12]Let' s get serious about preventing flu and other communicable diseases, respiratory and gastrointestinal.

Staying positive, getting a massage, getting enough rest, drinking plenty of fluids, eating a healthy diet, exercising appropriately are all wonderful ways to stay healthy. However, there are several other steps you need to take to prevent getting a communicable illness.

Wash you hands frequently. The ideal amount of time to take in this activity is the time it takes to sing the alphabet song. A simple 5-second washing is better than nothing, but will not thoroughly remove the germs. It is not important to use an antibacterial soap; it is important to [I]wash your hands! Wash them frequently![/I]

When you are at the grocery store, wipe down the cart handles with antiseptic wipes. Do you know about the hygiene of the person who handled the cart before you? Don't put groceries or your purse in the child seat. Think about how many dirty bottoms have been there before you got the cart. Perhaps you should place a barrier in the bottom of the cart for the same reason.

Don't handle products and then touch your nose, mouth, or eyes while shopping or until you have washed your hands. When you get home, either use a barrier to open the door or wipe down the door handles after you have washed your hands. Wash your hands immediately after getting in the house.

Now, after you have put away all the food, wipe down the refrigerator and cabinet handles to prevent cross-contamination. Wash your hands again.

When in a crowded situation and someone sneezes, try not to walk directly into that sneeze, or for that matter, directly into the area where someone has coughed when not covering his or her mouth.

I use a barrier to open any door in public and if I need to use the banister on a stairway or escalator because those handles and banisters are full of live bacteria and viruses, some of them very nasty. Tests on escalator handles have shown Chlamydia and fecal coliforms!

I have not had a cold, flu, or stomach illness for many years now because I take precautions. I also get a flu shot every year, but it does not protect one against colds or the terrible Noro virus that are so prevalent and easy to catch. My husband does not get a flu shot; he has not been ill either. We must be doing something right in terms of prevention.

Please, if you are ill, do not go to work or out into public. If your coworker is ill, encourage that person to go home for the good of all; if necessary ask the supervisor to so encourage your fellow employee.[/font][/pitch]

Learn more about this author, Joyce Beckman.
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