Our Government has a UK-wide Influenza Pandemic Contingency Plan that it will put into action in the event of a pandemic. To read the plan, click here.

Good personal and home hygiene is an important way of protecting ourselves from many different types of infection, including influenza. If pandemic flu arrives in the UK, it will be essential that we all adopt good hygiene practices to help reduce the risk of infection. The Department of Health recommends the following precautions to reduce the risk of catching or spreading influenza during a pandemic:

• When coughing or sneezing, cover the mouth and nose with a tissue if possible.
• Dispose of used tissues promptly and carefully. Put them in a bag and then bin them.
• Avoid non-essential travel and large crowds whenever possible.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water to reduce the risk of picking the virus up from surfaces and passing it on. Click here for further information about hand washing.
• Clean hard surfaces (e.g. kitchen worktops, door handles) frequently.
• Ensure children follow this advice.

Do not wait for an outbreak of flu to occur before you adopt good hygiene habits or start instilling them into your children. Do it now. By getting into a regular routine, you will be more prepared for an influenza pandemic and help to protect yourself and your family from a wide range of other infections too. You can learn more about personal and home hygiene here.

IN SUMMARY

PREPARATION NOT PANIC is the key. Following the above simple guidelines will allow your life to go on as normal as possible whilst helping to protect your family if an emergency does occur.

For additional information, useful resources and other healthy messages from the germ experts at Dettol, please click here.

Click here for further information or if you have any questions about avian influenza.