According to the CDC, cold and flu season should be winding down. I don't believe them one bit. I'm recovering from my seventh round of mystery yuck since October. Seven times in one year? I usually get very sick ONCE every 5-10 years!
My tests came back negative for the flu. Which means this is just a cold. That leaves me to wonder...if this is just a cold, how bad is the flu this year? More importantly, how badly would this ordinary (killer) cold affect someone who was elderly?
Since colds are hard to pin down, there aren't many statistics--but the CDC says that the flu has been especially rough on the elderly this season. If just a cold can lay down a young, healthy person with a chunky immune system, then its no wonder that the wicked sister (H3N2 virus) has led to record-breaking hospitalizations.
I seriously recommend reading the site for information on influenza and all precautions, especially for seniors. Especially since our local hospitals are flooded each week with hundreds of people testing positive for everything from strep throat to RSV.
But That's Not Why I'm Here...
I'm not actually here today to talk about statistics. I'm here to talk about cleaning house and mass murder.
Specifically, the murder of cold and flu germs while you clean house. Doesn't that sound like fun?
Anyone who cares for an elderly person knows that they have weaker immune systems. That is why prevention is important...but it can take more than a flu shot.
I see too many people run to the clinic for a flu shot, and afterwards think they are immune to everything. Sadly, sometimes flu shots aren't super-effective. And of course they can't protect against non-flu illnesses.
An example of this was my father-in-law--who came to see us on Christmas despite our warnings that we were contagious. No problem, he said. He had his flu-shot. A few days after visiting he was hospitalized.
It is hard for me to keep all those germs at bay, because I have three children who can touch a million surfaces over the course of a day. The result is that anything we catch once gets ping-ponged around between us despite my best efforts to keep everyone and everything sanitized.
With adults, it is a little easier.
- Wash hands in very warm water, with soap for at least 20 seconds
- Change out hand towels frequently
- Discard used tissue (I shouldn't have to say that)
- Cover mouths and noses during coughs and sneezes
- Change clothes at least once a day while sick, more if you cough or sneeze on them
- Wash clothes, and linens (and bed linens) in hot water, with a little Lysol or bleach (for whites)
- Use disinfectant wipes and sprays liberally. Especially on keyboards, phones, remote controls, light switches and pulls, door knobs, faucets and other frequently touched places.
- Dilute bleach or Lysol in a spray bottle and use to sanitize hard surfaces like tables, appliances, furniture, etc.
- Wash all dishes in hot, soapy water and scrub thoroughly
- And of course, stay home and don't go sharing your germs, please.
Unfortunately, for the elderly, it can be very difficult to clean thoroughly several times a day while recovering from an illness. Who feels like scrubbing when you can barely get out of bed, right?
If you really want to help an elder this season, help them clean house. Hit all of those hard to reach spots, and pay close attention to those areas that are most likely harboring dangerous germs. This includes the inside of the car, pillows and throw pillows, that favorite throw on the back of their favorite chair, and the tops of medicine bottles and soap dispensers.
Now, For My Big Question....Why Don't They Invent...?
Last summer, a friend was tempted to sell her home when it suddenly and inexplicably became infested with spiders. Maybe not a large scale infestation, but for someone afraid of spiders, 20 seemed like a LOT.
When she called the exterminator, they suggested she try area foggers first to save a little money. If you've ever used insect foggers, then you know that you seal up your house, remove all living things (except the spiders), and set off the "bombs" while you take a trip to the mall for a few hours. When you get home, you clean up dead bugs, and wipe down all your surfaces.
It worked for her spiders.
So why haven't they invented GERM FOGGERS?
Why aren't there cans of germ killer on the market? Like Lysol spray, except much more lethal.
Maybe it is a conspiracy by the drug companies (isn't everything?) or maybe its because we have to funnel that money into war, space exploration and building better iPhones.
Personally, I think Germ Bombs would be a big hit. As a parent, as a caregiver, or just as someone who really doesn't like the thought of catching anything and everything the neighbors might be carrying, it would be immensely satisfying to set up a product that did in two hours what it would take the average housewife two or three days to accomplish. A fogger could even sterilize the ceiling fans and curtains.
Cold and flu season isn't the only reason to worry about germs. Most homes have billions of germs, including some seriously killer stuff, like staph, lurking around. For the average healthy person, those may never become an issue, but to someone with a weakened immunity, such as a grandparent, it could mean hospitalization, or even death.
While we wait for a better solution to disease prevention (we want to prevent them, because trust me, peppermint and steam doesn't really make you feel better at all when your sick, does it?) I will leave you with this link that describes some of the germiest places in your home.
And if they are that bad in your home, think what they might be like in the home of an elder who cannot clean as often or as thoroughly.
Help clean up. Lets stop the record-breaking hospitalizations!
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