FLU Management: CDC recommendations:


Take these everyday steps to protect your health:
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough
or sneeze. If soap and water are not available, an alcohol-based hand
rub can be used.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay
home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get
medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone
without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.) Keep away from others
as much as possible to keep from making others sick.

What should I do if I get sick with the flu this flu season, including
the 2009 H1N1?

Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an
inhaled powder) that fight against the flu, including the new H1N1
flu, by keeping flu viruses from reproducing in your body. Antiviral
drugs can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster.
They may also prevent serious flu complications. The priority use for
influenza antiviral drugs this flu season is to treat people with more
severe illness, those that are hospitalized, and to treat people who
are sick who also are at increased risk of severe illness, including
pregnant women, young children, people 65 years of age and older, and
people with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes and other
metabolic diseases, heart or lung disease, kidney disease, weakened
immune systems, and persons with neurologic or neuromuscular disease.
For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started within the first 2
days of symptoms.

If you become ill with influenza-like symptoms this flu season you
should stay home and avoid contact with other people, except to seek
medical care. If you have severe illness or you are at higher risk
for flu complications, contact your health care provider or seek
medical care. Medical conditions that can place you at higher risk of
serious flu-related complications if you become ill include asthma or
other lung problems, diabetes, weakened immune systems, kidney
disease, heart disease, neurological and neuromuscular disorders and
pregnancy.

While few people over the age of 65 have been infected with this new
virus, if you are older than 65 and become ill, you are at higher risk
of developing flu-related complications. Children younger than 5 years
of age are also at high risk of serious complications if they get the
flu.

If you have one of these medical conditions or are 65 or older or
younger than 5 and develop flu-like symptoms including fever or chills
and cough or sore throat, contact your health care provider so they
may determine whether flu testing or treatment is needed.

For information about 2009 H1N1 flu, visit http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/