Ramblings on isolation procedures and avoiding infectious diseases

Howdy Folks,

Flu season is upon us and someone is bound to get it in your household. When someone is sick then you need to take care of them, but while minimizing the risk to you.

I was thinking about using technology to keep an eye on those who should be confined to their rooms (barring bathroom breaks and such).

To minimize your exposure, but monitor your patient, pick up a baby monitor to listen in and advise your patient to let you know if they need anything.

Sometimes it is hard for little ones to let you know if they need anything, so a video style baby monitor may come in handy. This allows you the benefit of hearing and seeing your patient without exposing yourself and others to whatever bug they have.

Face it, by the time someone in your house is showing the signs of catching a cold, chances are you have already been exposed to the same thing! It is still prudent to was hands and sanitize EVERYTHING the infected one has come in contact with. Hopefully you escaped the infection.

If you patient symptons include coughing or sneezing, it may be wise to have them wear a facemask to prevent high speed germs from heading your way with an uncontrollable cough or sneeze.

Lets talk prevention now...

Think about things you touch everyday that someone has also touched.

Follow me through this scenario if you will...

You are at Burger King and wash your hands in the restroom before your eat (great). You open the door to the restroom to go place your order (if you touched the handle without a towel you have touched something that someone who is sick may have touched). You get in line and pay cash for your Whopper combo meal (money may have germs on it from the latte you bought at Starbucks and recieved as change from the barista), the cashier gives you back change (another potential germ contaminiation). You get your Combo meal and opt for sweet tea (at least I would), you touch the dispenser handle (yet again) and let the tea flow into your cup. Finally you reach into the community condiment bin and grab a bunch of Ketchup (and all those contaminated people before migh have too!). You add some extra salt on your burger from the salt shakers that sit on the table (which others may have used and sick little kids love to play with).Then you sit down and consume your Whopper Combo meal thinking you were safe because you washed your hands before you ate, but you have at least 7 times in the scenario I presented to have had the possibility to come into contact with something that can infect YOU.

As you go about your daily lives think about ways to minimize coming into contact with something nasty that may compromise your health!

Thanks for reading and stay safe!

Later,
ZA