Skip to main content
Go to homepage

Print Page

The Flu: Stop the Spread

You — yes, you! — can help keep people from getting sick this flu season. How? It's not too hard. Just take these steps:

  • Get the flu vaccine.
  • Wash your hands often, especially before eating and after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.
  • Keep your sneezes and coughs to yourself (use a tissue or your elbow instead of your hand).
  • Keep your hands out of your eyes, mouth, and nose.

You may have heard all this before. But flu season is a great time to actually start doing them. By following these tips, you might be able to keep yourself from getting sick and prevent germs from spreading and making other people sick.

Germy Hands

Do you notice something about the tips above? Most of them involve your hands. That's how a lot of germs get in our bodies in the first place — whether it's a cold, chickenpox, or the flu. Germs get on our hands and we put our hands in our eyes, noses, and, especially, our mouths.

Sometimes you just can't help it. You have to pick up your sandwich, floss your teeth, and do stuff like that. Our hands get plenty of opportunities to touch our eyes and noses too.

Check Your Hand-Washing Skills

The best habit of all these good habits is hand washing. When you wash your hands, you rinse away germs that you might have picked up here or there. When you do this before you eat, for instance, it keeps those germs from ending up in your body, where they can make you sick.

Sure, you know you're supposed to wash your hands. But make sure you do it right:

  1. Use warm water (not cold or hot) when you wash your hands.
  2. Use whatever soap you like. Some soaps come in cool shapes and colors or smell nice. Antibacterial soaps are OK to use, but regular soap works fine.
  3. Work up some lather on both sides of your hands, your wrists, and between your fingers. Don't forget to wash around your nails. This is one place germs like to hide. Wash for about 15 to 20 seconds — about how long it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" two times.
  4. Rinse and dry well with a clean towel.

Reviewed by: Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, MD
Date Reviewed: Sep 20, 2021

Lea este articulo en Español

What next?

Summit Mall Play Area
Answer Key:
Click to expand
There are 10 nurses in the picture.

And we have many more pediatric primary care providers in Northeast Ohio. You can meet some of them here.
Summit Mall Play Area
Answer Key:
Click to expand
The five differences are:
– Phone color
– Coat pocket
– Stethoscope earpiece color
– Stethoscope bell dot
– Clipboard paper color

Need help finding a doctor, choosing a location or getting a general question about Akron Children's answered? Call us or fill out the form and we'll help in any way we can.
Summit Mall Play Area
Answer Key:
Click to expand
The two matching doctors are 9 and 14.

With virtual visits, you can see our pediatric experts from the comfort of home or wherever you are.
Summit Mall Play Area
Answer Key:
Click to expand
The correct path:
The Correct Path
We offer many ways to get pediatric care all over Northeast Ohio. Use this page to find the right kind of care and the most convenient location for you.