Everyday actions you can take to stay healthy
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water (for the time it takes to sing happy birthday twice) or waterless hand sanitizers.
- Avoid contact with ill persons. Keep a distance of at least three feet from anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
- When you cough or sneeze, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or your sleeve or elbow (if you do not have a tissue). Throw used tissues in a trash can.
- After you cough or sneeze, wash your hands with soap and water, or use an alcohol based hand gel. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth and if you do, wash your hands well before and afterwards.
- Clean shared phone receivers, keyboards, steering wheels, office equipment, and door knobs.
- Refrain from sharing personal items such as forks, spoons, toothbrushes and towels. Musicians should take care to clean/disinfect instruments before use. Athletes should take care not to share water bottles. Do not share drinks or drink after another person.
- Get plenty of sleep, to help your body fight illness and recover quickly.
- Avoid alcohol and smoking both of these will slow down your body’s ability to heal.
- Drink plenty of water
- Manage your stress / exercise
- Eat nutritious food
I have the flu, what should I do?
If you are sick with flu‐like illness, you should self‐isolate in your residence hall room or go home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever‐reducing medicine).
Notify all persons you have had close contact with (campus and non campus) in the past three days of the exposure risk.
Seek immediate medical attention if any the following symptoms are present:
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
- Sudden dizziness
- Confusion
- Severe or persistent vomiting
- Flu symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough