WASH HANDS OFTEN.

Especially before eating, after using the restroom and after being outside. To do it right, use soap and hot water for 20 seconds. This is the recommended amount of time to get your hands clean.

SOURCE; CDC.

GET IMMUNIZED.

The flu virus can spread fast, so get vaccinated. It’s important to note that there’s a separate vaccine against the H1N1 flu virus, so the standard flu shot won’t protect you. Be sure to get BOTH immunizations this season.

USE A TISSUE.

Cover your mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Tissues can help trap germs so they don’t spread. And remember, throw it away when you’re done.

USE KLEENEX® ANTI-VIRAL* TISSUES.

Some cold and flu viruses can live up to 24 hours on regular tissues, so use Kleenex® Anti-Viral* tissue, which is the only tissue that’s specifically designed to kill 99.9% of common cold and flu viruses in the tissue*. Look for the Blue Dots!

*Kills 99.9% of Cold and Flu Viruses in the tissue within 15 minutes. Virucidal Against Influenza A and B (causes of the flu); Rhinoviruses Type 1A and 2 (a leading cause of the common cold); and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (a leading cause of lower respiratory infection in children).

COUGH OR SNEEZE INTO YOUR ELBOW.

One sneeze can spray up to 3, 000 infectious droplets into the air at more than 100 MPH. So if you don’t have a tissue handy, use the inner-part of your sleeve at the elbow. You can help reduce the fast spread of germs.

SOURCE: Brendan J. Canning, PhD, professor of medicine, Johns Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center AS QUOTED IN WASHINGTON POST / HEALTH

THROW AWAY USED TISSUES.

Did you know that 72% of moms surveyed feel cleaning up piles of facial tissues in the house when a family member is sick has contributed to their cold or flu. Toss out your used tissue immediately after use. It just makes sense.

GET ENOUGH SLEEP.

Kids ages 3–5 need about 11 to 13 hours of sleep every night. Nine to 11 hours if they are ages 6–12. And adults should get no less than eight hours per night. This helps empower your immune system.

SOURCE: CDC's Division of Adult and Community Health

STAY HYDRATED.

Drink plenty of fluids, preferably water. After all, our bodies are mostly water, and the ongoing intake of water is essential to our every bodily function. This is a proven way to strengthen your immune system and helps you “flush” your body clean.

SOURCE: CDC.

EAT BREAKFAST.

Proper nutrition can help you fight against the cold and flu virus. It also helps to keep you more alert and improves concentration throughout the day.

STAY HOME IF SICK.

An estimated 125 million workdays are missed by parents who stay home with a sick child. With this in mind, keep kids home when they’ve come down with the cold or flu, so as to not spread these viruses to others. The same holds true for adults. Don’t get your workplace sick because you had to prove how “tough” you were. The work will wait.

EXERCISE & STAY ACTIVE.

Do something active like running, walking, playing, cycling, or swimming for 60 minutes every day. It’s not just your muscles that are getting stronger, exercise helps strengthen your immune system, too.

SOURCE: CDC

Please note that these facts are meant to provide a top-line overview of the H1N1 flu.
Remember, consult your physician for more information and before getting a flu shot.

IS THE H1N1 FLU THE SAME FLU AS THE SWINE FLU?

Yes, they are the same flu, just two different names.

I JUST GOT A SEASONAL FLU SHOT. DO I NEED A SECOND FOR H1N1?

Yes, the vaccine for the seasonal flu does not protect you from the H1N1 flu. The hope is that for next year the H1N1 vaccine will be part of the standard seasonal vaccine. But for now it is recommended you get immunized for both.

SHOULD EVERYONE GET THE H1N1 VACCINE?

While it is recommended that everyone gets the vaccine, experts say it is especially important for children six months to 24 years of age, for healthcare workers, pregnant women and adults with chronic health conditions. To be sure we recommend you contact a physician first.

DOES KLEENEX® ANTI-VIRAL* TISSUES KILL THE CURRENT HIN1 VIRUS?

Kleenex® Anti-Viral Tissue kills 99.9% of cold and flu viruses* in the tissue within 15 minutes.

Kleenex® Anti-Viral tissue has demonstrated efficacy in tests using a different Influenza A H1N1 strain. The product has not been tested specifically against the H1N1 virus strain(s) currently spreading in the population.

*Rhinoviruses Type 1A and 2 (Rhinoviruses are the leading cause of the common cold); [Influenza A and Influenza B (causes of the flu); Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV-the leading cause of lower respiratory infection in children).

I’M AFRAID OF NEEDLES. CAN I GET THE VACCINE ANOTHER WAY?

Yes, it can be administered with a nose spray. It’s painless and easy to take.

THE H1N1 VIRUS HAS BEEN CALLED A PANDEMIC. WHAT IS THAT?

When an infectious disease spreads through populations over a large region, it is called a pandemic. This has been the case with the H1N1 flu, which is why you hear reports using this term.

HOW LONG IS A PERSON WITH H1N1 CONTAGIOUS?

Those who have been diagnosed as having the H1N1 virus are considered potentially contagious as long as they have flu symptoms and possibly for up to seven days following the start of illness.

HOW IS THE H1N1 VIRUS SPREAD?

Like the seasonal flu, the H1N1 flu usually spreads by contact with a person who has the H1N1 flu. The most common human-to-human spread is through coughing and sneezing. So use a tissue!

CAN YOU GET THE H1N1 FLU (SWINE FLU) FROM EATING PORK?

No. Swine influenza viruses are not transmitted by food. You cannot get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is safe.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BEST WAYS TO PROTECT MYSELF FROM THE H1N1 FLU VIRUS?

The Center for Disease Control says the best ways are to get immunized, always cough or sneeze into a tissue, and wash your hands with soap and hot water for at least 15–20 seconds, especially before eating, after using a restroom and after being outside.