H1N1 (Swine Flu) Continues Rapid Acceleration through America
With Shortages of the New Vaccination how do you protect your Business and Family?
Whether you choose to call it H1N1 or Swine Flu the fact remains that the deadly influenza is continuing its rapid acceleration throughout the world and as of late is picking up steam here in America. H1N1 has spread so much throughout the world that the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared it to be a global pandemic. While a new vaccination has made its way to the world there is already a shortage and people are clamoring on how they can keep their businesses and families safe from this nightmare.
What exactly is H1N1? H1N1 Influenza A is a respiratory infection that is caused by the specific influenza A virus. While there was an outbreak of swine flu in the past it was actually a different strain. This “new” Swine Flu strain is actually a variation of swine, avian (bird), and human influenza viruses all wrapped up into one virus. The problem with such a “Super Flu” is that it has built up immunities to many of the typical remedies that are now available to fight influenza. If not properly treated it could actually prove fatal.
As with any influenza, H1N1 is spread from human to human in an airborne fashion. That means that there does not even have to be any physical contact with another person infected with H1N1. The virus actually enters your body when you either inhale contaminated droplets or transfer live virus from a contaminated surface to your eyes, nose, or mouth by some means such as your hands. So really any area that has large groups of people in it is a higher risk area when it comes to contracting H1N1.
This is leaving many business owners scrambling to come up with a way to keep their employees safe and H1N1 free. This is for good reason. It is now being advised that those with flu like symptoms go home right away and if diagnosed with H1N1 they are to avoid work for at least seven days. To make matters worse if there are several outbreaks of H1N1 at your business, the government has the authority to quarantine your business and shut it down for as long as they see fit. This doesn’t even begin to touch on the fact that if you are infected you will be putting your entire family at risk. So what can you do?
The best way to stop the spread of H1N1 to your business and your family is to prevent it from ever getting started. This can be done in a number of ways as follows:
Maintain clean hands: Because H1N1 can be spread by transferring live virus to yourself via your hands, it stands to reason that keeping your hands clean and sanitized will greatly reduce the risks of contracting H1N1. While good old soap and water does a fine job it is also helpful to have a product such as Purell Hand Sanitizer handy. Purell Hand Sanitizers kill 99.9% of all common germs that cause various illnesses, including those that cause H1N1. Every classroom in America has a bottle of this on hand and your business should be no different. Having a bottle of Purell at every work station and having employees use it regularly will greatly reduce the risk of any kind of contact with H1N1.
Remind employees to wash and sanitize hands: Sometimes employees are like children. You think they are listening but they are in fact zoning you out. Fortunately there are companies that make signs designed to go in the restrooms of your business that read “Employees must sanitize hands before returning to work.” These signs are generally placed directly over the sink and it is also a good idea to post one at the exit. You can go a step further and post a few around the office for an added reminder. This constant visual reminder will have your employees more likely to wash and sanitize their hands and keep the virus at bay.
Use masks: If you have an employee that has been identified as having H1N1 or you just have an employee out due to flu like symptoms you can always have yourself and the rest of the staff wear disposable particle masks. The Moldex 2200 N95 model mask is a great example of this. Moldex masks are as effective as other particle masks but theirs has little features such as a padded nose piece that adds more comfort when being worn. The masks contour and adjust to fit each individuals face and by wearing them you are keeping any H1N1 droplets that might exsist from being spread or inhaled. Coupe this with good hand hygiene and the spread should never happen.
Simple steps like these can help to keep your business thriving and prevent you from bringing H1N1 home to your family and loved ones. Simple precautions sometimes make a world of difference. But this seems as though it could be costly getting the many various products not to mention time consuming.
Luckily there are innovative companies that have come up with Personal Protection Kits for individuals and for business owners. Some of these kits comes with everything that you and your employees need to fight against the contraction and spread of H1N1. They offer kits for the individual for a day, multiple days, kits for 20 employees, and kits for 100 employees. Each kit contains Molex masks, vinyl gloves, antimicrobial hand wipes, and an infectious waste bag. Best of all they can also provide you with Purell Hand Sanitizers and any kind of signage you need. They also give you a wealth of information for free with their Pandemic Preparedness Kit which contains a guide book, a poster, H1N1 preparedness poster, and 10 employee pamphlets when you spend $250.00 or more with them.
As much as people may not want to talk about it, H1N1 is not going anywhere any time soon. As the old saying goes, “Sometimes the best offense is a good defense.” With the knowledge of products that will help contain and stop the spread of H1N1.
written by Mb