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Preventing the spread

We all know the protective measures to help stop the spread of COVID-19: wash your hands for 20 seconds before touching your face/eating, wipe down any high traffic areas like door knobs with bleach wipes, wear a mask in areas where caseloads are high, etc. How can we apply these same steps when it comes to other viral infections like the stomach bug, the flu and colds. Dr. Jill Weatherhead, assistant professor of pediatrics – tropical medicine and infectious diseases, shares which of these techniques work for each illness. (Access a pdf version of the graphic).

For a stomach bug: Wash your hands for 20 seconds. Stay home when you're sick. Isolate from other members of household if ill. Clean common surfaces with a bleach solution. Wash contaminated laundry (clothing, sheets, towels, etc.). For a cold: Wear a surgical mask or similar face covering if out. Wash your hands for 20 seconds. Stay home when you're sick. Clean common surfaces with a bleach solution. Cover your sneezes and coughs. For the flu: Wear a surgical mask or similar face covering if out. Wash your hands for 20 seconds. Stay home when you're sick. Clean common surfaces with a bleach solution. Cover your sneezes and coughs.

-By Anna Kiappes

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