How to avoid getting infected from a sick person. Precautionary measures at the household level: basic prevention of ARVI in children

The easiest way to catch the flu is indoors. where it's warm and humid. We will tell you how not to catch the disease if someone in the house is sick.

How can you get the flu and colds?

It is easiest to catch a cold or flu indoors. Viruses are transmitted by airborne droplets from person to person. implemented through Airways into the mucosal cells, causing destruction of the surface layer of cells, which leads to inflammation. Epithelial cells respiratory organs slough off and are rejected when breathing. These cells contain many viral particles, they float in the air and can easily infect others.

IN indoors Flu and cold viruses can spread 7-8 meters around a sick person. Pathogenic viruses can live from 2 to 9 hours, circulating in the air of a room.

The second mechanism of transmission of infection is through household contact. So, you can become infected through objects - door handles, dishes, towels. Special attention should be given to your hands. The influenza virus lives on the hands for 5-7 minutes, and if during this time a person manages to touch his face or bring his hand to his nose or oral cavity, then the risk of infection increases significantly. According to experts, it is viruses on the hands that pose a high danger, since infection most often occurs in this way.

British scientists have found that a child touches his nose, eyes or mouth more than 300 times per day. Influenza viruses live on metal or plastic for up to 48 hours, and on glass surfaces for up to 10 days.

What to do

If someone in the family gets sick, then there is increased risk infection of other family members. What is the right thing to do to minimize risks? Doctors recommend the following activities:

Isolate the patient. Ideally, this should be a separate room. If this is not possible, then the patient should be warned not to walk around the apartment (house) and not spread the infection. Food and drink must be brought to the patient. It is advisable to limit movements around the apartment only to visiting the toilet and bathroom, and everything must be done promptly, without lingering in other rooms.
Provide for the patient individual items use. He must have his own towel, underwear and bed linen, handkerchiefs, and dishes. Towels, underwear and bed linen should be disinfected by boiling for 15 minutes. The thermometer must be wiped after each use. ethyl alcohol or vodka.
Carry out wet cleaning. It is recommended to clean the room where the patient is located 2-3 times a day. It is advisable to carry out cleaning using disinfectants or using a soap solution.
Ventilate the room. This is necessary to reduce the concentration of circulating viruses in the room. It is necessary to ventilate the room 3-4 times a day. When airing, you can spray water with aromatic oils, which will help disinfect the air.
Humidify the air. For get well soon and to minimize infection of flu and colds by other family members, the room must be additionally humidified.
Wear a mask. It is advisable for the patient to wear a mask when communicating with other family members (especially children). To reduce the risk of infection, healthy people should drip saline solutions into their nose 1-2 times an hour.

Important!

After each visit to a patient, you must thoroughly wash your hands and face. This way you will reduce the likelihood of contracting flu and colds by 50%! Personal hygiene is extremely important factor protection against viral infection, which should never be neglected.

How to protect a child if the mother is sick

Now let's talk about a more specific case. How to protect your baby from the flu if his mother is sick. We know how children often get sick and easily catch viruses, so in this case it is extremely important to do everything right so that the baby does not get sick. So here's what to do:

Dad instead of mom. If possible, when the mother is sick, another family member - dad, grandmother or someone else - should take on all the care of the child. According to the law, if the mother is sick, the father can receive sick leave to care for the child.
How can longer baby must be in the fresh air. If you can’t go outside, then go out onto the balcony.
As in the previous case, do wet cleaning, ventilate, wash and boil the laundry.
If a mother wants to talk to her child, she should do so wearing a mask and with well-washed hands.
Time should be limited. If possible, switch to artificial feeding during illness.
Before and after feeding, drops should be placed in the baby's nose. saline solution(saline solution).

Wait full recovery, and only then contact your baby in the usual way.

Frost and sun, a wonderful day.. or not? The cold season can be filled with magical moments, but a cold or flu can easily ruin both your work life and a long-awaited vacation with your family. How to protect yourself and your loved ones from influenza and ARVI? Now we'll tell you everything.

Colds gain strength at the beginning of winter and can spoil and new year holidays, and all the holidays. To maintain health, strength and great mood for loved ones, it is worthwhile to prevent influenza and ARVI. Viral diseases and common colds can be prevented by taking necessary measures prevention. Agree, preventing a disease is better than treating it.

If you are going to defeat the disease, you need to study your opponent well. Seasonal viral diseases quite a lot, but often all of them, without understanding them, are called with one word “cold”. What is the difference between influenza and ARVI? The simplest answer would be “everyone,” but we are not looking for easy ways.

Let's start with terminology- “flu” is translated from French as “to grab, to scratch,” and if you have ever experienced this disease yourself, you understand why it received such a name. In general, influenza, acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections are diseases that are initially caused by different viruses and differ in both symptoms and the course of the disease.

There are more than two hundred viruses that cause colds.
We will answer the most FAQ about the differences between these diseases.

How is the flu different from a cold?

Cold- a common name that refers to any ailment caused by viruses or ordinary hypothermia. All these ailments are similar to the flu common symptoms, however, the course of the disease itself will not allow you to confuse the flu with a cold. Even healthy person with strong immunity, the flu occurs with symptoms of intoxication - aching joints, pain in eyeballs, may be accompanied by nausea and chills; this disease is also characterized by temperature fluctuations, which remain above normal for 2 days to a week, and severe headache.

If the body is weakened or the immune system is unstable, as happens in children, the elderly and pregnant women, the flu is more severe, can cause seizures and lead to pneumonia (pneumonia) or other respiratory diseases, so they are most vulnerable during epidemics.

At the beginning of the disease, influenza is characterized by a dry cough, but if complications occur, sputum may appear, as with bronchitis. Colds go away faster and do not require long-term recovery, while the flu requires a long recovery. recovery period with dizziness and changes in blood pressure.

What is the difference between acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections?

acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections- abbreviations that are often confused, which is not surprising - these groups of diseases are almost identical. acute respiratory infections stands for acute respiratory disease, and ARVI is an acute respiratory viral infection. Thus, the main difference between them is the viral nature, acute respiratory infections can be limited to one patient, and ARVI has the ability to be transmitted.

Thus, influenza viruses are included in the concept of ARVI, and before installing accurate diagnosis- determination of a specific infection that has appeared in the human body - the first diagnosis for patients is precisely these four letters.

Colds usually occur in the off-season, and we often wonder how to avoid getting a cold in the fall, but the most dangerous epidemics influenza - in the winter-spring period, outbreaks of the disease occur especially often in February and March. If you care about your health, then you should prevent colds early stage or protect yourself from it altogether with the help of preventive measures.

First of all, relevant general events to maintain immunity - quality food, multivitamins, exercise. To prevent a cold from appearing at an early stage, it is enough to follow basic precautions:

avoid hypothermia, especially freezing feet and nose, since a weakened body can become infected more quickly;
try not to contact sick people;
wash all things regularly who end up with you in public places, especially during epidemics, including outerwear, since viruses can be stored in it for quite a long time;
If you have a runny nose, use disposable tissues so that it does not become a “mobile home” for a bacterial colony;
during epidemics or if you yourself have caught the virus and are forced to be on the street or in a public place, you need wear sterile medical mask , and change masks at least once every 4 hours.

Also, when answering the question of how to prevent disease, you need to remember the rules of hygiene when visiting public places - a must clean your hands and face after visiting public transport and public places.

If the disease has already affected your household, you should think about how not to get infected with ARVI from a patient, since often the disease can infect everyone living in the house in a circle. If there is a person in the house who is sick with ARVI or influenza, then after contact with him you should be especially careful about hygiene. The room with the sick person should be regularly ventilated; this will benefit both the sick person and the healthy household members.

Through ventilation is most effective, but it can negatively affect the patient’s condition. To renew the air in a room without, it is better to use it - it will supply it in a timely manner Fresh air into a room free from outside cold, as well as dirt, dust and allergens due to several stages of filtration.

During epidemics usual measures precaution may not be enough, and it is worth turning on the “heavy artillery” in the form folk remedies and medical supplies.

Before we highlight folk remedies for flu and colds, we remind you that treatment of diseases must be carried out under the supervision of a qualified doctor, and these methods can only be used as prevention; self-medication can be dangerous to health.

The most common folk remedies include:

Garlic

If eating garlic is impossible for some reason, you can inhale: grate a few cloves of garlic and half a small onion and breathe over the mixture.

Vitamins

Winter and the beginning of spring are often accompanied by massive stress - if the body is deficient in vitamins, then it is more difficult for it to resist diseases. Therefore, most of the folk methods of prevention against influenza are occupied by vitamins - they are replenished by consuming honey, berry fruit drinks, cranberries and lingonberries are especially effective, herbal infusions, rose hips, aloe and other plants. In addition, it is recommended to consume lemons and ascorbic acid- at least 500 mg per day - and drink more fluids.

Inhalations

At the early stage of colds, the first “swallow” is a runny nose. Inhalations can be carried out using essential oils. To do this, heat 500 ml of water in a small saucepan to a boil, after which oil is added to the water - usually eucalyptus or mint - and breathe in the fragrant steam under a towel for 10-15 minutes. You can also use decoctions of sage, oregano, lavender or other herbs for inhalation, as well as steam from freshly boiled potatoes. This “breathing” slightly reduces the risk of catching an infection, but helps restore the nasal mucosa and get rid of a runny nose.

Folk remedies have their pros and cons. Their advantages include:

availability: both recipes and ingredients are easy to find in any store at low prices;
minimal amount side effects: even if the chosen remedy does not help prevent the disease, there will be no harm from it either;
no contraindications they can be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding;
they are universal, since they support the immune system as a whole, and are not aimed at a specific virus.

The disadvantages of folk remedies include low efficiency- in order for them to have an effect, you need to practice them constantly. Such prevention is more of a way of life than a set of measures.

Prevention of influenza and ARVI, drugs for which you find in the pharmacy, are more effective than traditional methods. Medicines work effectively if used according to instructions. Today there are many drugs to prevent diseases, first of all they support our immunity. The fact is that due to the diversity of viruses, it is impossible to invent flu pills - what will defeat one strain of the virus will not be suitable for fighting another. Respectively, drugs are divided according to known modifications of influenza and types of drugs.

Exist individual drugs against influenza A, They are used as prescribed by a doctor, they shorten the course of the disease, and the symptoms become less pronounced.
Antiviral drugs are used to treat and prevent influenza A and B. Such drugs are used during epidemics upon contact with an infected person according to the instructions.
Anti-flu remedies for homeopathic basis, most often syrups can be used to prevent flu and colds in children.
Complex soluble powders with paracetamol, which are most often used as an answer to the question “What should I take to prevent colds?” differ high speed work and almost immediately relieve the symptoms of the disease, but they have a strong effect on gastrointestinal tract and liver, so it is not recommended to use them for prophylaxis.
Nasal drops Most often used when in contact with someone who is sick with ARVI, so as not to catch the virus. Among them there are both preventive and more strong drugs. For example, nasal drops for flu and colds are used at any stage of the disease, and some of them also help fight the destruction of the nasal mucosa. A doctor will help you select the appropriate drops, depending on the characteristics of the body and the stage of the disease.
Often used to prevent influenza ointment in the nose. The locality of their effect allows the use of ointments even during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Should I get a flu shot?

The flu shot is one of the most talked about ways to protect against the disease. It is considered most effective if the vaccine is selected correctly and matches the current strain. The purpose of vaccination is to strengthen the immune system, trigger the production of antibodies and prevent infection. There are several vaccines; it is best to choose the right one together with your doctor. When answering the question whether it is possible to get a flu shot, the doctor considers the general medical history and condition of the body.

First, it’s worth noting that there are a lot of myths about how you can catch a cold, most of which are wrong. By following some ridiculous and far-fetched rules, people themselves do not notice how they are driving themselves into the trap of illness.

Myths and reality

Myth: You will get sick sitting in a draft. Sitting near an open window can cause colds in your muscles, most often this happens in your back muscles. But there’s no way you’ll catch an acute respiratory viral infection or the flu. All “winter” diseases are not the cause of hypothermia as such. Such ailments are caused by viruses that do not have the ability to fly into an open window.

Doctors, refuting the theory of a disease caused by a draft, claim that it is then easier for the disease to attach itself to an organism weakened by hypothermia. This especially happens with a frozen nose, which is usually covered with a scarf outside in frosty or windy weather.

Cold is not the cause of the disease, but only a contributing factor.

Myth: Germs help feeling unwell. In any case, microorganisms that enter the body of a human host encounter his or her immunity. We won’t even feel the invasion of a weak infection, thanks to the “shield”. If the illness is more severe, the immune system will begin a confrontation, which will already affect the person’s well-being.

Leukocytes - white blood cells - will produce special substances that suppress infection. While the body gets rid of the pathogens in this way, the person feels:

weakness;
drowsiness;
headache;
sometimes even nausea.

The mucous membrane also suffers greatly - the virus, with its influence, irritates its cells, which provokes the production of secretions more actively in order to wash the infection out of the body. That’s why doctors say that the most unpleasant temperature from 37 to 38 cannot be brought down with medication, because this is a sign of the immune system fighting the disease.

If the temperature does not fall, but rises, it means that the person’s resources are depleted or weak against the invading illness. In this case, third-party stimulants in the form of antipyretic and antiviral drugs are needed.

Myth: The color of sputum reflects the state of the pathology. In fact, the color of sputum will tell a lot, but to a doctor who can understand. But in general, it does not indicate an exacerbation of the disease, but rather the “regularity” of the disease regime.

2-3 days after infection, the body will begin to reject the enzymes that took part in the fight against the virus - processed ones. These are mainly iron-containing elements that affect the color of mucus, making it yellow or even green.

Myth: Having a cold is a source of infection. This is partly true. But this does not mean that if you protect yourself from everyone, you will definitely not get sick.

The ideal environment for the life and reproduction of microbes is the human mucosa. Therefore, when you cough or sneeze, a certain dose of microbes is pushed out along with it, which settle on surrounding objects. But they do not die on dry and cold objects, because they are in the remains of mucus, where they are quite comfortable. Thus, holding the handrail in public transport, you may become another carrier of the infection.

Myth: Stress helps colds develop. Definitely true. Stressful state has a detrimental effect on the human body, and it does not matter whether the person is healthy or sick. Nervous shocks significantly weaken the defense, which allows illnesses to quickly enter the body and take root there.

Prevention of ARVI is familiar to everyone who has ever experienced a cold. Its main rule is to avoid direct contact with an infected person. But how can you avoid catching a cold if there are already infected people in your family? You can't isolate loved one, especially if it's a child.

How to protect yourself

Not everyone has living conditions that allow them to isolate a sick family member, even providing him or her with a personal bathroom. What to do in this case? The patient must wear a special medical mask in order to protect loved ones from his illness.

The bathroom must be disinfected frequently - about 2 times a week. Because personal hygiene in this case takes on unprecedented relevance. When you come into contact with a patient, even remotely, you continue to interact with the objects that surround him. And they may contain germs that can infect you.

Seriously speaking, even healthy people should have individual items for personal hygiene - these are not things that can be shared even with those closest to you. These include Toothbrush, a sponge for washing the body, towels for the body and face, etc. But in the case of a person with a cold, it is not recommended to wash your hands even with soap and use one toothpaste. An infectious person should eat exclusively from the dishes allocated to him, so as not to spread germs into this area. In such situations, it is even easier for a child to be separated in terms of individual objects than for an adult.

Taking antiviral drugs prophylactic drugs will not be superfluous. Thus, you will be able to strengthen your immunity and prevent the insidious infection from entering the body even after contact with germs.

There are people who are more susceptible to colds.

Risk groups include:

children;
pregnant women;
elderly.

Therefore, these people must first be removed from the patient and protected in every possible way from infection. For a pregnant woman, especially during the first trimester, any illness is very dangerous; even a minor cold can have a negative impact on the fetus.

If possible, the patient should be cared for by the same person who is receiving the care. preventive measures and has a strong immune system. When caring for an infected loved one, you must wear a protective medical mask, and then thoroughly wash your hands with soap and wash.

Mothers most often look after sick children to protect their husbands. If two people in a family are sick, but one of them is a child, an adult can look after the baby only in as a last resort. Ideally, if the disease progresses significantly, you should think about hospitalization or additional medical assistance.

At colds We first of all strive to get rid of the unfortunate symptoms as quickly as possible. We drink hot tea, we sneeze anywhere and everywhere, we suck lozenges for sore throats. Therefore, caring for the health of household members often worries us indirectly. This can lead to disastrous consequences. Think about it, after all, treating the whole family from bacteria will be much more difficult than following simple precautions. How to prevent the development of colds in your household? What should you do to avoid accidentally infecting your family with a cold? The answers to these questions are contained in this article.

Most often, adults become the source of infectious bacteria and viruses. They are the ones who constantly visit crowded places. Adults go to work, to public places, use buses and trams, and ride the subway. As a result of close contacts with by different people, parents bring various pathogenic bacteria into the house, which can then harm their children. Children have not yet developed a well-developed immune system, which is why they will have to recover from illness much longer. And if the child is sick, then you must definitely call a doctor and get a certificate 095 from Moscow, or any other city.

From all of the above, we can conclude that adults must carefully observe all the rules of hygiene, even if they do not feel any illness. Experts have found that a person with a cold can infect others within a week after the first symptoms appear. Even if a person is already infected and has not yet developed symptoms, they can be contagious. Therefore, if you feel unwell or have a slight fever, try harder to follow all the rules of personal hygiene. Also, try to avoid direct contact with people.

But what to do if you can’t avoid contact with your household? There are several rules.
? Thorough hand washing.
Even if you think you wash your hands often, once the illness hits, do it several times more often. Every time you sneeze, blow your nose, or touch your face, you leave particles of the virus on your hands. Then, upon contact with interior items, they remain on the sofa, bedside tables, and TV remote control. That's where the microbes wait for your family members.
? Disposable supplies. Of course, it’s not common to use disposable plates, forks and spoons in your own kitchen. However, if you don’t want to wash dishes three times and be afraid of infecting others, it is best to use plastic dishes at least during illness, sometimes even a little longer.
? Disinfection. Scientists have proven that ARVI bacteria can survive outside human body about seven o'clock. This time is enough for everyone in your household to become infected. There are many types of cold viruses and bacteria, but not fewer species disinfection. Alcohol and soda are the most accessible. Most effective types sold in pharmacies.
? Gauze bandage. You can buy this “lifesaver” at any pharmacy. This device prevents germs from spreading throughout the apartment during coughing or sneezing. Also, your family can wear a mask or bandage to prevent infection.
? Strengthen the immunity of family members. Set of vitamins, cold and hot shower, citrus fruits and ascorbic acids will help you.
? Air disinfection. Quartz treatment will help rid your apartment of germs. Essential oils will help disinfect the air and help everyone who breathes them.

The cold season, from October to March, is the most dangerous in terms of respiratory infections. viral infections, in particular the flu. This pathogen, compared to other types of viruses, has some features that determine a set of measures to prevent infection, especially if the family already has a patient with flu symptoms.

Epidemiological features of the influenza virus

Everyone knows that this virus is capable of constantly changing. It comes in two types, A and B, which mutate almost every year, so a person who has already had the flu may get sick again next fall or winter. The type A virus is the most mobile in terms of mutations; its spread in the form of epidemics is recorded every 1–2 years. Moreover, the disease always begins acutely, proceeds violently and often leads to serious complications. Influenza virus type B, on the contrary, is more resistant to mutations, its spread repeats after 3–6 years, and clinical picture The infection is more homogeneous and the process develops gradually.

All people are at risk of contracting the flu, since no one has the new strain of the virus. natural immunity(if we do not consider the creation artificial immunity through vaccination). But children, the elderly, and patients of any age suffering from concomitant chronic diseases are most susceptible to infection.

The influenza virus has a very pronounced tropism for the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, that is, it is able to instantly attach to epithelial cells and immediately begin its destructive activity. This is why the flu has the shortest incubation period(from infection to the appearance of symptoms of the disease) – from several hours to one day. Symptoms manifest themselves acutely and develop quickly, the body temperature immediately rises to significant numbers (39–40 degrees), the patient suffers from severe headaches and aches in the joints, and develops severe weakness. Then these symptoms are accompanied by a runny nose and cough, then the infection can spread through the respiratory tract and affect other internal organs.

When you breathe, cough or sneeze, the influenza virus, along with tiny particles of saliva and mucus, enters the external environment(This airborne distribution). If there is a healthy person nearby, then in the absence individual funds protection, the possibility of contracting influenza is approaching 100%. Overcrowding, high humidity and low temperature air, which the virus loves very much, as well as bad epidemic and hygienic conditions indoors - all these factors contribute to the extremely rapid spread of this dangerous infection.

From the air, especially indoors, viruses can settle on furniture and clothing, on toys and dishes. Then they can get from your hands into your mouth, for example, along with food. In epidemiological terms, this route of infection (oral) does not play as significant a role as airborne, but on the scale of an individual apartment and family, when someone is already sick with the flu, it cannot be written off.

What are the immediate measures to prevent influenza?

All of the above features of the influenza virus and methods of infection must be taken into account if a child or adult falls ill in the family. First of all, of course, you need to call your local doctor, who, having diagnosed the flu, will prescribe a treatment regimen: medications, strict bed rest, abundant warm drink, light vegetable, fruit or meat dishes according to the patient's appetite.

Having provided the patient with all the conditions for recovery, it is necessary to think about other family members who are also at risk of contracting the flu. To do this, it is important to carry out measures, the purpose of which is to minimize the concentration of the influenza virus in the air of the apartment, which will reduce its invasiveness (the ability to infect humans) and significantly protect healthy people. These measures are as follows:

Try to isolate the sick family member in a separate room, which will additionally create good conditions and for him (there will be no unnecessary noise and other irritating factors).
Ventilate the patient’s room, as well as the entire apartment, as often as possible. The influenza virus is very volatile and with good ventilation and open windows quickly leaves the room. The most optimal time ventilation - morning and evening, if possible you can do this more often.
Mandatory wet cleaning of the room, not only the floor, but also all surfaces on which the influenza virus can settle from the air: countertops, window sills, glass, design objects. That is why, as soon as a person gets sick, it is better to remove all unnecessary objects from his room, which will create best conditions to clean the premises and, therefore, protect other family members from the flu. If possible, cleaning should be done 2 times a day, using gentle disinfectants.
Use only an individual set of utensils for the patient (cup, plate, spoon and fork), and wash them with disinfectant solutions after use. This preventive measure, given the predominantly airborne spread of influenza, does not have such important, as, for example, when intestinal infections. But keeping in mind the possibility oral route infection with influenza in a confined space (apartment), it must be observed.
The use of a gauze mask by the patient himself, which sharply reduces the release of influenza pathogens into the environment.
The use of natural fighters against influenza viruses that release strong phytoncides: garlic and onions. These vegetables can be hung in your rooms and often eaten fresh.

Other urgent prevention measures are aimed at creating conditions under which the virus cannot enter the respiratory tract of a healthy person, even with high concentration in the air. Of these, two most important points can be noted:

Mandatory use of personal protective equipment. First of all, this is a gauze bandage, or mask, which, when constantly wearing in an apartment reduces the risk of contracting the flu several times. It is necessary to have such masks, preferably disposable ones, for all family members and change them every day. If this is not possible, then the used gauze bandages Can be washed and then ironed with a very hot iron.

You can also recommend rubber gloves, in which you need to wet clean the room where the flu patient is lying, as well as wash the dishes he used.

Treatment of the nasal mucosa with special medications:
- oxolinic ointment 0.25 percent (lubricate the nasal cavity 2-3 times a day);
- Viferon ointment, which also has an immunostimulating effect (3-4 times a day);
- Fleming's ointment, this is one of homeopathic remedies, which is used both for the prevention and treatment of influenza (2-3 times a day);
- “Zvezdochka” ointment, which treats not the mucous membrane, but the skin under the nose and around the nostrils (1-2 times a day).

All these measures for the urgent prevention of influenza if there is already someone in the family who is sick with this dangerous infection person, you need to know and be sure to follow. Then the rest of the family will have a chance not to get sick and maintain their health.

What you can do before an expected flu outbreak or epidemic

Every year, influenza outbreaks cause temporary disability for many people; Often, unfortunately, they develop and serious complications. At increased risk are children, pregnant women, workers in medical and child care institutions, and the elderly. Therefore the state accepts special measures, which are designed to reduce the incidence of influenza.

First of all, it is the prevention of infection with a vaccine. Virology specialists are constantly studying the behavior of the influenza virus, the nature of its mutations and spread. They make predictions about which strain will threaten the population in the near future. Based on these data, immunologists are developing a special vaccine that will be effective only against this viral strain. This vaccine then enters the network of treatment and preventive institutions.

It contains particles of killed or weakened viruses, which, when they enter the human body, cause a massive production of antibodies that can subsequently cope with active microorganisms. But in order to form sufficient quantity antibodies, a certain period of time is required. This is usually 1-2 months before the expected onset of a flu outbreak or epidemic, so vaccinations begin in October-December.

Influenza vaccination is completely free for the population; everyone can come to the clinic and get vaccinated. It is practically painless and does not cause side effects. As years of use of vaccine prophylaxis have shown, this measure is the most effective in preventing the incidence of influenza, significantly strengthening the immune system and helping it cope with infection even with the highest degree of invasiveness of the virus.

In addition to the prevention method of vaccinations, you can use these for everyone by known methods, How:

antiviral ointments applied to the nasal mucosa (oxolinic, Viferon);
antiviral drugs in tablet form (“Remantadine”, “Arbidol”);
interferons and interferon inducers (“Grippferon”, “Amiksin”, “Kagocel”).

They should be used when there are already people infected with influenza in the immediate environment, as well as at the very beginning of the disease. Moreover, the drugs are taken not just once, but according to a special regimen developed by the doctor.

We must not forget about the prevention of any infections, including influenza, throughout the year. It is very important to constantly strengthen the immune system through hardening, physical education, good nutrition, giving up bad habits.