Simple strategies can help prevent sickness when those around you are falling ill. From basic hygiene to careful contact with those who are ill, doctors note that it's possible to keep a common cold or virus from spreading.
If someone is coughing and sneezing, ask them to do so into their elbow or ask if they can cover their mouths and noses with tissues, which should be discarded quickly in a wastebasket — not left out on a nightstand,
Everyday Health suggested.
Give your sick family member their own blankets and pillows along with a designated towel. And don't forget to change their sheets frequently, the Everyday Health said. The sick person should also consider sleeping alone until his or her condition improves.
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If your child is sick, keep his or her toys away from others. And while total isolation isn't easy, staying away form someone with a cold, for example, is a good idea, Everyday Health noted, adding that "you can catch a cold within six feet of an infected person."
Circulating plenty of fresh air in the home helps with moving germs out of living spaces, and a cool humidifier can also help while sleeping.
Hand-washing and wiping down shared surfaces such as sinks, faucets and light switches can also help
sickness from spreading, WebMD noted, adding that "about 80 percent of infectious diseases are spread by touch."
It is often a good idea to toss old toothbrushes used by someone who has had a flu or virus, and to quickly discard tissues or napkins that have been used by the infected person. Towels should be washed frequently as well. Sharing foods and utensils at the dinner table, as some children are prone to do, should also be stopped so that others will not be exposed to the sick person's germs, WebMD said.
Water or other beverages help both the sick person and those who live with him or her, WebMD added, noting that "people who aren't sick should also stay hydrated, as it helps to boost immunity."
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Other tips to help those stay well around those who are sick: take vitamins, use plenty of alcohol-based hand sanitizer, eat more "colorful foods" like fruits and veggies to benefit from their antioxidant effects, and sleep more to bolster your
immune system, the Mayo Clinic suggested.
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