A Formidable Flu Season – Part III
Caring for someone who has the flu
 
By: Dr. Faryal Afzal

Given the statistic that anywhere from 5 to 20 percent of the U.S. population gets the flu each year – and up to 200,000 cases annually are serious enough for hospitalization, chances are good that you may be caring for a sick family member. Taking wise precautions during any flu season can help reduce the chances that you will get infected, as well as lessen the spread of flu in your home.

The Caregiver
It’s best to assign the duty of primary caregiver for a sick family member to one adult to reduce the likelihood of others getting sick. Pregnant women and those who are at an increased risk of severe illness from flu should not take care of anyone who has the flu due to their increased risk of influenza-related complications. As caregiver,

• Avoid close face-to-face interaction with the sick person. If close contact is unavoidable, consider wearing a face mask or respirator, if available and tolerable.
• Talk to your doctor about whether your personal medical condition makes it advisable for you to take antiviral medication as a preventive measure. These medications have side effects, so they aren’t for everyone.
• When holding a small child who is sick, place their chin on your shoulder so that they will not cough in your face.
• Clean your hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer after you touch the sick person or handle used tissues or laundry.
• Monitor yourself and household members for flu symptoms and contact your doctor if symptoms occur.

Placement of the sick person
It’s important to keep the sick person away from other people as much as possible – especially those who are at high risk for complications from influenza. Keep the sick person in a room separate from the common areas of the house. A spare bedroom with its own bathroom is ideal. Their bath room should be cleaned daily with disinfectant. Also, if possible, keep the sickroom door closed. Have the sick person wear a face mask – if available and tolerable – if they need to be in a common area of the house near other people.

Protect others in your home
Caring for one sick person is enough, so take precautions so that others in your home don’t become sick. Besides checking with your doctor to see if certain family members should take antiviral medications to prevent getting the flu, enforce these guidelines:

• The sick person should not have visitors other than the caregiver.
• Anyone who is at high risk for complications from influenza should avoid close contact (within 6 feet) with household members who have the flu. If close contact is unavoidable, consider wearing a facemask or respirator.
• Avoid having sick family members care for infants and other groups at high risk for complications of influenza. 
• Everyone in the household should clean their hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub frequently, including after every contact with the sick person or the person’s room or bathroom. Use paper towels for drying hands after hand washing.
• Maintain good ventilation in shared household areas by keeping the windows open in bathrooms, the kitchen, and other rooms used by many family members. 
• Remind the sick person to cover coughs and wash hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub often, especially after coughing and/or sneezing.

House cleaning & laundry
The flu virus can remain on environmental surfaces and can infect a person for 2 to 8 hours after being deposited on the surface. Be sure to keep certain areas particularly clean and disinfected. 

• After throwing any tissues and other disposable items used by the sick person in the trash, wash your hands.
• Keep surfaces (especially bedside tables, surfaces in the bathroom, and children's’ toys) clean by wiping them down with a household disinfectant.
• Eating utensils and dishes should be washed either in a dishwasher or by hand with soap and warm water.
• Bed sheets and towels used by the sick person should be washed with household laundry soap and tumble-dried on a hot setting. Avoid “hugging” laundry prior to washing to prevent contaminating yourself. Again, clean your hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer right after handling dirty laundry.

It’s always a two-pronged challenge for caregivers to juggle care of a sick loved one and preventing well family members from getting sick, too. This flu season, proper infection control is more important than ever. By practicing these precautions you can provide the necessary care to help a family member hopefully shorten their bout with the flu virus – and minimize the chances of spreading the flu to other family members, including yourself.

Haven Primary Care and the health care team at Lock Haven Hospital are committed to keeping our community informed about the flu season as new information becomes available. For more information on novel H1N1 or seasonal flu, visit us on the Web at www.lockhavenhospital.com and click on the Health Resources link.

Dr. Afzal is board eligible in Internal Medicine and is on staff at Haven Primary Care and Lock Haven Hospital. She may be reached at 748-0474.