We’ve been talking a lot about flu season here on our blog. This year’s flu season has been particularly bad and shows no sign of letting up. The bottom line is this: there is nothing you can do to 100% guarantee you won’t get the flu, but there are simple things you can do to tilt the odds in your favor.
Know your enemy: there are germs everywhere in your office
Did you know that germs on hands can be transferred up to seven times? That makes all of those frequently touched surfaces in the office hot spots for viruses. No wonder a virus can spread through an entire office in just a few hours. Some germs can even live for days on hard surfaces, so hot spots like door handles, keyboards, light switches, desktops and elevator buttons should be cleaned even more often. And don’t forget about the kitchen. Breakrooms have some of the germiest surfaces in the entire office: sink faucets, microwave and refrigerator handles.
How to protect yourself from the germs
Our partners at GOJO, makers of Purell products, have shared an informative video about the importance of hand-washing in stopping the spread of disease. (We took a slightly more sarcastic approach to illustrating the importance of clean hands here. We think both are worth a watch.)