How does a person stay healthy around sick people

[kittensaver]

Get enough rest; stay hydrated (drink lots of water); wash your hands frequently; teach kids to cover their coughs and to also wash their hands frequently; make sure you're getting enough Vitamin D.

[chiver78]

in the short term, Vitamin D and a steady dose of Emergen-C or Airborne for the duration. I've been known to combine an herbal remedy* I found at Whole Foods with a daily dose of Emergen-C
*


in the long term, just expose yourself to as many germs as possible and let 'em all run their course. teachers are sick most of the time their first few years, and then have cast-iron immune systems until they die. me, I have the immune system of a lab rat. that meds combo is a fail-safe before my annual cruise.

[chiver78]

yeah, I would.... it comes in a couple flavors, I usually mix two packets of orange into a pint glass of orange juice. if I'm on the ship, it's mixed w/Bacardi as my first drink of the day.

[cronewitch]

Extreme cleaning of everything, no sharing anything. Wash each thing anyone touches like dishes then wash your hands without touching anything else between. Don't share food and beverages, each person needs their own serving. Wash hands after touching toys or children, have the children wash hands often with soap for all washing. Use paper towels, tissues and other disposable items to save on laundry but launder towels, wash clothes and other things the moment they are used hot water, hot dryer. Use the dishwasher to santize dishes even if you hand wash them it is hotter. Try not to breathe the same air.

When my ISO is sick I sleep in the guest room and bring him food and drink leaving on his night stand not handing to him to avoid skin contract and make sure I wash after retrieving the dishes. I also wash the bedding when I think he isn't contagious any more. I never get sick but have a strong immune system so just limiting how many germs I get from him is enough.

[NastyWoman]

Oct 26, 2012 20:59:03 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

... if I'm on the ship, it's mixed w/Bacardi as my first drink of the day.

Good thinking -> the alcohol will serve as a disinfectant, so you remember to repeat every couple of hours just to be sure.

[Pants]

Vitamin C has no effect on the immune system, that theory has been debunked for years. The only thing that "boosts" your immune system is exposure to diseases. If you want to not get sick, the best bet is frequent hand-washing for you and everyone else in the house. Like crone said, try not to touch things they touch. If you want to go crazy with it get a medical mask and use that to make sure you are minimizing airborne transfer.

[Deleted]

I'm wondering the context behind this question. Are you going to be taking care of them while they have the flu? Why would they be in your lap, then? Why would they be out of bed at all unless they are in the recovery stage?

If you are really asking what do you do if your grandchild visits and has a cold, then handwash and sanitizing surfaces is the best bet.

I have taught for more than a few decades, and I don't get colds any more from my students. But I have a big bottle of hand sanitizer and have been known to pick it up and squirt some in their hands if they cough. I also take a flu shot.

[cranberry49]

I use to get sick all the time from my kids/grandkids, until I started taking zinc with copper. It's rare now that I ever get a cold. If I feel like I may be starting one, I take zinc lozenges until I feel better. Works every time for me!

[cranberry49]

I take Solaray Zinc Copper www.vitacost.com/solaray-zinc-copper

These (or something equivalent too) are the lozenges that I add if I feel like I'm starting to get sick. www.coldeeze.com/

[Formerly SK]

DS's school implemented a massive hand sanitizer program a few years ago. Every time you walk in/out a room, you squirt some on your hands. They use antibacterial wipes to wipe down desks at every recess (3x/day). I think my kids come home with about ten layers of of that sanitizer on their hands.

They said it killed student absenteeism due to illness quite significantly. I can't remember exactly, but over 50%.

[Tiny]

I have a Magic Feather that seems to work for keeping most things I don't want to happen from happening OR seems to facilate things I do want to happen to happen. That, and every night before I get into bed I imagine myself standing infront of my loyal cheering white blood cells while giving them some version of the St. Crispin's Day speech from Henry V. Gets them all in the mood to go out there and fend off any unfriendly virus or unfriendly bacteria.

Seriously, I just try to get plenty of sleep, remember to take my daily vitamin (it's a kid's chewable cause the adult one's upset my tummy) and wash my hands alot.

If there's a killer flu pandemic... well, I'm just gonna hope for the best - if it's my time, it's my time.

[happyhoix]

At my house, when DH has a disease, I wipe off the communal objects (phone and TV remote) with disenfectant wipes, and stay clear of him. I wash my hands frequently. This usually works, but if it fails, I take one of those zinc tablet things for a few days and it seems to kill it pretty fast.

DH works with the public, including small kids, plus he works in close contact with his co-workers who all goof off and use up their sick days when they aren't sick, so that when they ARE sick they drag themselves to work and infect everyone else. Plus it doesn't help that DH never met a veggie he liked (other than potatoes, fried or mashed), and prefers fruit cooked into pies. I did at least get him to start taking a multi-vitamin.

My job has less contact with germy human beings so I usually don't catch anything there, just from DH.

[thyme4change]

Flu shot + handwashing.

[imawino]

Oct 31, 2012 15:02:03 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

Flu shot + handwashing.

Wash your hands a lot, and do not touch your face with your hands.

[tloonya]

Was OP a seriously asking how to not to get sick?
Airbornes will get you no matter how well you think your hands are washed!
And if you will think about it too much you might get case or nervous break down on the top of flu.
So have some vodka with you and have fun!
Kids love more generous after a few shots grandparents!

[kittensaver]

Airbornes will get you no matter how well you think your hands are washed!

======================

Air is well-documented to be a poor conductor of the flu virus. It needs something to "live" on, aka surfaces, including human flesh. Frequent hand washing IS the best thing you can do to stave off the virus. Everything you touch has the potential to have the virus on it. Definitely wash your hands every time before you touch your eyes, ears, nose or mouth (or something you touch before it goes in your mouth).

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

Oct 31, 2012 15:02:03 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

Flu shot + handwashing.

(and I try to stay far, far away from sick people!)

[doxieluvr]

I wash my hands a lot throughout the day, yet I am sick again now. Just started with something. I have chills, fever and a head cold. This is now my fourth illness since August 27. I can't even blame the kids because they are fine.

The only thing I can figure is that I am working a job that has public traffic. For the last 5 years I have just been in my own cube. I catch everything that walks by me.

[zibazinski]

Start spraying Lysol.

[Formerly SK]

Well, DS (2nd grade) came home from school with a note that someone in his class has lice and we need to check him daily for the rest of the school year. We'll see if we avoid that one.

[doxieluvr]

Nov 1, 2012 9:03:17 GMT -5 Formerly SK said:

Well, DS (2nd grade) came home from school with a note that someone in his class has lice and we need to check him daily for the rest of the school year. We'll see if we avoid that one.

Give him a spray of hairspray daily. Lice do not like "dirty heads".

[zibazinski]

We did that, too. The back of their head toward the nape of their neck. They can't stick to the shaft.

[thyme4change]

The only thing I can figure is that I am working a job that has public traffic. For the last 5 years I have just been in my own cube. I catch everything that walks by me.

Years ago I went from a job where there was a lot of space, for few people. My group was isolated down a hallway, and we all had our own offices. I moved to a job where I was in a bullpen with 3 other people and our little section had 50 people. Our bullpen was the hallway to get to the executives, and there were always people walking around. That was the same year my daughter started pre-school. For the most part, I could tell which came from me and went to her, and what came from her school and hit me. It was the most miserable year of my health. Holy crap - I was sick so many times.

[doxieluvr]

Nov 1, 2012 10:18:09 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

The only thing I can figure is that I am working a job that has public traffic. For the last 5 years I have just been in my own cube. I catch everything that walks by me.

Years ago I went from a job where there was a lot of space, for few people. My group was isolated down a hallway, and we all had our own offices. I moved to a job where I was in a bullpen with 3 other people and our little section had 50 people. Our bullpen was the hallway to get to the executives, and there were always people walking around. That was the same year my daughter started pre-school. For the most part, I could tell which came from me and went to her, and what came from her school and hit me. It was the most miserable year of my health. Holy crap - I was sick so many times.

Yeah I am the one bringing it home. I have been sick four times to the kids one time.