5 ways to avoid Swine Flu

With Swine Flu incidences on the rise, catching the flu can bring bigger consequences than just a runny nose. San Diego is too beautiful to be stuck inside all day with a fort made of Kleenex. Now is the time to be aware of the health issues and kick porky to the curb. Since there is no vaccine available yet,  simple steps can be taken to prevent catching the Swine Flu and avoid being quarantined:

1. Keep those digits clean

Germs use hands as a superhighway to spread from one person to another. Using public restrooms, handling money, or pushing a shopping cart are all possibilities for catching the flu. Allow soap and water to become your new best friends. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), in order to properly reduce the chance for catching or spreading the flu hands need to be washed with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Singing the “Happy Birthday” song twice is roughly 20 seconds. However, singing out loud is optional.

2. Stash a disinfectant arsenal

Remember to wash your hands! (Provided by 'dave7749' via Flickr)

To prevent running to the bathroom all day long and appearing to have a bladder problem, keep germ-fighting tools on hand. Hand sanitizers are the most popular since water isn’t necessary and they come in a variety of sizes and smells. They even have key-chain sizes for those who don’t normally carry backpacks, purses, or man-bags.

3. It’s not popular to be sick

If you know you’re sick or show any symptoms of being sick, stay home! Going out while being sick will not only spread germs, but also makes it possible to catch new germs. It’s hard to detect the Swine Flu since symptoms are similar to a common cold. Get checked out immediately if the bug won’t go away. In addition to feeling horrible, if everyone else begins to feel sick, they’ll know exactly who to name as the culprit.

4. Don’t cross the line

Even though tequila shots and encounters with strange characters sounds like fun, avoid crossing the border unless it’s necessary. Since the high spike in Swine Flu cases, the CDC reports that the California Border Patrol is keeping a lookout for people crossing the border with flu-like symptoms. Flu carriers will be sent to secondary screening to see if they should be allowed in to the U.S. Having one fun night in Mexico while having the flu could possibly create an unwanted extended stay.

5. Avoid high peak hours

Maybe one of the best ways to avoid catching the flu is to avoid large groups of people. The fastest way for germs to spread is for more people to be together in one area. The movies on a Friday night, the bank at 4:55 p.m. on the 1^st, and the mall on a Saturday afternoon are all super friendly germ hideouts. By avoiding high traffic times, not only can germs find somebody else, but can prevent the headache of packed locations.