It’s bound to happen this season – someone in your household will come down with the ‘flu, perhaps the H1N1 novel virus or any one of the other circulating influenza viruses. The CDC has published a handy guide on what to do when taking care of a sick relative at home. It includes information on what “close contact” means (6 feet), how long viruses can remain alive on surfaces (2-8 hours) and tips about laundry and cleaning of contaminated surfaces.

It’s especially important to limit the number of people who can have contact with the sick person – especially those who are in the high risk group (infants under 6 months have no immunity to influenza and cannot receive the vaccine). For this reason, the CDC recommends that generally, only 1 person be the caretaker rather than expose others unnecessarily.

As difficult as it can be for some working families, it’s important to stay home for at least 24 hours after the fever has ended (without use of fever-reducing medications) in order to prevent the spread of infection in the community.

Good handwashing and coughing etiquette remain the hallmarks of limiting the spread of influenza. Use facemasks (if available and tolerated) within the house to also help decrease the spread of the virus. You can read more about taking care of a relative with influenza by following this CDC link.