How To Protect Yourself From Swine Flu

Dr. Jennifer Ashton Discusses Ways To Steer Clear At Home, Work And School

(CBS)  What do you need to know to avoid swine flu?

CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton shared some tips Tuesday on what do at home, school and in the office.

According to Ashton, the kitchen has even more germs than the bathroom.

"Isn't that shocking? That's why I try to stay out of the kitchen," she joked. "Handles -- anything that we're touching where we're preparing food. These are not just specific for the influenza strain, but bacteria and viruses in general. They need to be cleaned on a regular basis.

"The sponge is a petri dish for bacteria and viruses. So those really should either be changed regularly, soaked in bleach or put in the microwaves to kill all of the germs."

When it comes a cleaner, as long as it's disinfecting, it's doing the job.

"Anything with bleach is great. There are also some eco-friendly versions that can be very effective in killing germs. And you really just want to go through your kitchen, any surface that you're in contact with. Refrigerator handles, the faucet and the strainer within the faucet should be kind of soaked with bleach and let the water run through. Protect yourself in the kitchen."

Ashton practices what she preaches and carries a hand sanitizer with her at all times.

Another haven for germs is our children's schools.

Ashton's kids' school is recommending frequent hand-washing as one swine flu precaution.

"What child can wash their hands for 60 seconds and then they touch the faucet, which is then contaminated with their dirty hands beforehand?" Ashton asked. "So, I send this (sanitzer) with my children. But the schools are recommending that if your child is sick, just like any other day, keep them home."

Ashton says that, although the swine flu is of great concern, people should keep their children home for the same reasons they did before the swine flu outbreak.

"No different today than a week ago," Ashton said. "You know if your child is coughing, sneezing, fever, you know, certainly with a rash, you don't want to send that child to school."

Other places that are considered germ magnets are water fountains, lockers, desks and computers.

The workplace is "probably the worst" for germ avoidance, Ashton points out.

"You have high volume traffic exposure. The phone is the worst. They should be wiped down probably twice a day with alcohol or Clorox. In the hospital, the nurses stations do that every day.

"Mouses, keypads, fax machines. Anything that your hands are on. If you take an elevator to get up to work, you should probably hit the button with your elbow," she said. "And lastly, don't share food that's open. Individually wrapped stuff is good. But the other stuff is just a breeding ground for germs."

Swine Flu News Worldwide:

[Greenchee]

The most important and the easiest way to protect yourself from swine flu or H1N1 flu is that you have to often wash your hands with soap, in this way you can get rid of most of infection. See http://www.discoverymedical.com/ for more knowledge.

[cdj_1_dba]

Make sure your elbow doesn't have any broken skin like mine did. I had an infection in my elbow down to the bone because I used my elbow on things I didn't want to touch with my hands like elevator buttons, door handles, etc.