About three weeks ago, I wrote about how you can predict when the cold and flu season will hit your city with the achoo by Kleenex cold and flu predictor. Well…guess what? achoo was CORRECT! It predicted that our region would get the cold and flu and just this weekend, our 1st grader started to cough and get the sniffles. Well, I went out and bought some, you guessed it, Kleenex tissues and made sure we had enough hand sanitizer around the apartment.
Of course, with the holidays here, there will be a lot of gatherings with family, friends and…of course…those unwanted guests…GERMS. Kleenex is sharing their tips for preventing and surviving the cold and flu season this holiday (#5 is mine, though).
1. Keep your sick kids home! 96% of school nurses agree that when a child comes to school sick, other children tend to catch his or her virus because all colds are contagious, regardless of mucus color.
2. Stock up on facial tissues. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends facial tissues as one of the key ways to reduce cold and flu viruses. Kleenex brand’s new thicker and more absorbent everyday tissue provides exceptional hand protection by helping to keep hands clean and dry.
3. Take your vitamins. Boost your immune system with Vitamin D, even getting out and enjoying a little sunshine can help.
4. Hydrate. Not all liquids hydrate equally – stick to water, herbal tea and fruit juice when you’re sick.
5. Teach everyone in your family (and strangers, too) the ELBOW trick. During the cold and flu season, you will hear me constantly reminding my kids to sneeze and cough into their elbows if they don’t have a Kleenex handy. That way they don’t spread their germs.
If you are having a holiday party, I highly suggest using Kleenex’s Hand Towels which are better than a fabric hand towel which can spread germs from one user to another. Plus they have great themes that will be perfect for your holiday party.
Every year, the U.S. alone reports more than one billion colds, and 35 to 50 million flu cases (UGH!). As you know, the cold and flu season is always unpredictable. According to the CDC, although epidemics of cold and flu happen every year, the timing, severity, and length of the flu season varies from one year to another. So just make sure you are prepared, and ready because you never know when the cold and flu can hit your family without warning.
What do you do to prevent your family from getting the cold or flu?
Visit the Kleenex brand website for more helpful tips and advice to prepare your home for what’s ahead, and useful information to help you avoid the last-minute trips to the store so that you care for your family when someone gets sick.